Council Could Mandate Frontyard Landscaping

The City Council today will consider an ordinance requiring homeowners to landscape their yards. If it passes, it would be the first such law in California, officials say.

The proposal would require frontyards to be covered with living plants or decorative materials, such as rocks, bark or gravel.

A recent survey found that more than 6,700 properties in the city would not meet the requirements. City officials and neighborhood groups say they will work with people who can’t afford the landscaping, possibly providing grants for home improvements.

The proposal also would make it difficult for residents to park their motor homes, campers, trailers and boats on their lots, asking them instead to put the vehicles in storage or in their backyards.