COLTS NECK – Municipal regulations regarding the placement of leaves on local streets have been addressed in an ordinance the Township Committee adopted on Jan. 31.
When the ordinance was introduced, officials spoke about the potential changes in three areas: leaf collection and removal, brush and branch collection and removal, and property maintenance.
“There was often brush being placed in the street and potentially impeding traffic,” Township Administrator Kathleen Capristo said. “This (ordinance) will address and clarify that the placement of brush and leaves cannot be 3 feet into a paved portion of a road and it cannot impede traffic. This will address the portions of town with more narrow roads.”
The ordinance states that:
- All leaves placed along the curb line or edge of pavement shall be no closer than 25 feet to a street intersection
- Piles of leaves must be placed parallel to the curb line or edge of pavement
- No leaves may be placed, stored or staged in the right-of-way of a public street; or placed, stored or disposed on any public property or common open space area without approval; or in ponds, lakes, streams, swamps, marshes, wetlands buffers, conservation easements, nontidal floodways or similar watercourses.
Officials said some residents have placed brush and leaves in the right-of-way, off the curb, which was not in violation of the ordinance prior to its amendment.
The amended ordinance states, “All brush shall be placed at the curb line or edge of pavement and shall not extend onto the paved portion of the street further than 3 feet and shall not impede traffic or create a safety hazard. Notwithstanding the 3 feet encroachment into the street … no pile of brush shall be placed to so occupy a street as to interfere with or interrupt the passage of cars or vehicles.”
Capristo said the amended ordinance also addresses undeveloped property. Property owners who have a lot that is not developed and who tend to let brush, leaves and grass grow at will, will be directed to at least mow or trim back the grass or branches.
The ordinance states, “The owner of all real property, either developed or undeveloped, shall maintain the grass or natural vegetation within a public street right-of-way in a mowed manner to a maximum height of 6 inches and free and clear of all nuisances and any hazards to pedestrians or other persons using the public right-of-way.”
Township Planner Tim Anfuso spoke about the ordinance and said, “We have been working with this ordinance for a couple of years. Code enforcement has stepped up enforcement on it and we have run into a couple of problems with it.
“The way the ordinance is written, one can interpret it to allow (individuals) to leave brush and leaves within a township right of way all year. The intent (of the ordinance) is that people would leave their brush and leaves (in a right of way) about a week or two before the collection date. We amended the ordinance to clarify that you can only have brush and leaves within the right of way for a certain period of time,” Anfuso said.
Mayor J.P. Bartolomeo said, “There are rules in place, not to be sticklers or to create a town of rules, but we do believe that certain things were not enforced. We don’t want a police brigade out enforcing these rules, but we will enforce them because it affects and directly offends our neighbors. So we just want people to be open minded to it.”