I am calling about a vacant lot on Anson Court. They got
approved to build houses, but they never did. Now it is just a
vacant lot.
“I am calling about a vacant lot on Anson Court. They got approved to build houses, but they never did. Now it is just a vacant lot. The fences are falling apart. The weeds are growing super tall. They don’t maintain it and don’t care for it. They said they would plant mature trees and vegetation around the front but never have. It looks like a case of blight. I’m not sure who to contact, so hopefully you can help me out.”
Red Phone: Dear Lot Needs Some Help, Red Phone contacted Scott Barron, code enforcement officer for the city. He said there actually are six vacant lots in the subdivision off of Anson Court on Evergreen Court.
He acknowledged the fence could use some work to make sure it is structurally sound and in good repair as required by the Gilroy Municipal Code. GMC 20.104 says “The permittee or the owner of property adjacent to the right-of-way shall maintain the hedges, shrubs, walls, fences or similar structures erected for landscaping purposes in a neat and orderly condition at all times so as to prevent encroachments into the right-of-way.”
However, the weeds are not a violation at this time, Barron said. They are on the fire marshall’s list of lots that need weed abatement, so he said he expected they would be cleaned out in the next couple months.
“Typically landscaping that is required for new construction would not be installed until the structures are near completion,” he said.
But the property still needs to meet the standard of the Municipal Code that states “All vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant land shall be maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition as provided herein so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety.”
Barron said he e-mailed the concerns to the property owners for them to address.
You can report violations of this kind to 846-0264.
