Call to Chapin property owners: maintain your properties to avoid fines

New guidelines passed in November are designed to improve Town’s appearance

Chapin Town Council strengthened Chapter 10 (Health and Sanitation) Public Nuisances section of its town code last November to set new guidelines for property maintenance within town limits. The goals were twofold: to improve appearance within the town and reduce public health concerns related to poor sanitation that increase nuisances like insects, rodents and snakes.

Residential and commercial property owners are required to regularly maintain their properties to remove noxious weeds, keep grass heights low, and regularly remove rubbish and debris. The new requirements for properties with buildings onsite require landowners to prevent grass and weeds from getting above eight (8) inches. On vacant properties the threshold is two feet (24 inches). Overgrowth, downed trees and brush need to be removed and hauled off site. Stockpiling of construction materials, tires, old equipment, vehicles, tools and other materials is prohibited. And businesses with trash containers or dumpsters must provide screening around the containers so the dumpster is not visible from the road right of way.

“Since I was elected in 2013, I have received numerous complaints about the town’s appearance and unkempt properties,” said Mayor Skip Wilson. “It is not the town’s responsibility to maintain individual parcels, and we are busy getting the word out to let folks know that they need to make regular plans for keeping their properties maintained. Doing so helps keep everyone’s property values higher. And with growing concerns about the Zika virus which is carried by mosquitos, it makes good sense for us to step up our enforcement efforts.”

Code enforcement will provide warnings for first offense but continued negligence could potentially result in fines up to $500. In certain instances where the clean-up may require abatement by the town, a lien will put against the property owner’s taxes to recoup the cost of the abatement clean-up.

For more information, please contact Zoning Administrator Chris Clauson at 575-8045.