Wheeling trustees to vote on new yard-care ordinance next month

Unlike other communities, Wheeling hasn't seen a huge jump in the number of foreclosed or abandoned homes.

But village officials are having some trouble tracking down owners who've left behind wildly unkempt yards.

Jim Wargo, a village attorney, presented an updated ordinance to the Wheeling village board on Monday that regulates the removal of overgrown weeds, grass, trees and other vegetation.

The board officially will vote on the changes early in August.

"It's not only important from a safety standpoint," Wargo said after the meeting. "It affects the entire neighborhood."

The code prohibits a homeowner from having bushes more than six feet tall or grass more than eight inches tall.

Residents also can't have vegetation blocking sidewalks or the view for drivers.

However, regulating overgrown yards isn't always that cut-and-dry.

"What criteria are we using for a properly maintained bush or tree, anyway?" Trustee Ken Brady said.

Mark Janeck, director of community development, said the code sometimes is hard to enforce, and that these disputes are settled out of court.

"Usually, the people we talk to will conform to the code after we talk to them," Janeck said.

According to the code, the owner of an overgrown yard is notified by a village official and asked to clean up their property.

If the homeowner refuses to fix the problem, the village will clean up the yard, charge the homeowner and put a lien on the property, if necessary, to collect the money.

Wheeling residents who want to report a yard nuisance should call (847) 459-2633.