City of Columbus Code Enforcement officials are urging residents to not park their vehicles in their front yards, backyards or even on empty lots.
According to City Code, vehicles have to be parked on cement, asphalt or on at least 3 inches of gravel. Unfortunately, the City Code Enforcement team believes the public isn’t aware of what is permitted and has found many examples throughout town lately of vehicles parked in places that are not permitted.
“On Friday, I hit one neighborhood at random and ended up with 15 complaints,” Code Enforcement’s Jodi Cole said on March 27th, noting she found trucks, trailers and boats left on empty lots and has gotten calls from residents about cars being parked in people’s front and back lawns.
The City Code has been in place for decades, though the Code Enforcement Department has been doing its best to be lenient. But officials are issuing a reminder to the public in hopes it can help avoid having to tag vehicles and potentially have them towed down the line.
A first violation would result in a red tag to notify the vehicle owner, while a second notice would come with a letter. If a third violation is necessary, the vehicle would be potentially towed by order of the Columbus Police Department or a designated City official.
“It’s a whole process,” Cole said, adding that vehicles are not allowed to block public sidewalks either.
Enforcing this policy is about maintaining appearance, but also safety. Vehicles parked on lawns could ultimately hurt the environment, she noted.
“Oil and gas can seep into the ground and contaminate our soil and water,” Cole said.
City Code Enforcement officials don’t think anyone is breaking code maliciously, but they’re determined to enforce the policy for the betterment of the community.
“People don’t truly know they can’t do it, but our City Code has always been there,” Cole said. “It’s just a matter of how hard we want to hit it.”
To read more on this issue pertaining to City Code, click here.