A huge spike in complaints about tall grass in Loudoun County prompted supervisors to pass an emergency lawn-mowing ordinance Tuesday — but not before engaging in a heated debate that included the merits of gardening, the definition of a weed and the proper length of a lawn-mower blade.
Under the ordinance, grass on vacant commercial and industrial-zoned property — and houses with less than a half-acre — cannot be longer than 12 inches.
Using Fairfax and Prince William county legislation as models, the board’s bill also stipulates that residents who do not comply with the ordinance — concerning grass as well as weed growth — might have to pay the county to mow their lawns.
The number of tall-grass complaints has soared from 14 in 2006 and 27 in 2007 to 244 the first five months of the year.
Supervisor Sally Kurtz, D-Catoctin, tried to add a motion to strike the word “weeds” from the ordinance.
Supervisor Stevens Miller, D-Dulles, responded enthusiastically: “I’ve become fascinated with gardening recently, and I know that weeds are defined as any plant that’s growing where it’s not supposed to be growing,” he said, adding that plants classified as weeds could vary depending on their location.
Chairman Scott York, I-at large, however, became exasperated when the motion — eventually defeated by a 5-3 vote — was introduced.
He said the revised language could open the door to residents arguing, “‘Why are you mowing my weeds? You only agreed under the ordinance to mow my grass.’”
“Let’s have a little common sense here,” he added.
Supervisor Lori Waters, R-Broad Run, said the county should be careful not to go to the other extreme when entering property to mow lawns.
“When we do cut it, let’s not cut it super-super short,” she said. “I don’t want to get into the length of blade on a lawn mower, but …”
Once discussion turned to county liability for volunteers offering to mow overgrown lawns, Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, asked county attorney John Roberts, “Can I go out and mow the lawn? Will I be covered?”
Kurtz, sitting to Delgaudio’s left, massaged her head in frustration as Chairman York quickly cut him off.
“I understand your point and I don’t agree with it,” he said. “If you want to add something, put it in the form of a motion.”
The board authorized a public hearing in September to make the ordinance permanent.
