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| Patterson’s bravest tackle overgrown yards |
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| Written by James Leonard / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 06 August 2008 | |
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“It’s not just a fire hazard; it’s a nuisance. ... It’s all part of our job. Public safety does not detract from our daily duties. It just adds more.” — Steve Hall, Patterson fire marshal Every day, the firefighters of Patterson do their duty. They battle structure and grass fires, risk their own safety to rescue people from danger — and serve weed abatement notices. It might not be the most glamorous or adrenaline-filled part of the job, but more and more, the men and women of the Patterson Fire Department are dealing with the mundane task of making sure yards are kept clean, tidy and safe. The recent foreclosure crisis — which has hit Patterson especially hard — has left hundreds of area homes abandoned. These homes are owned by banks that are more concerned with paperwork than yard work, so grass and shrubs are left to grow out of control and, then, to die. The result has been a dramatic increase in the number of weed abatement notices — which can be served for dry and dead weeds, overgrown shrubbery or piles of garbage or debris — that the fire department has had to deal with. Fire department secretary Amy Best said that from the start of the season in late April through the end of last year, she sent out 514 letters asking homeowners to clean up their yards. This year, in barely more than three months, she’s sent out 540. And it’s not just a matter of mailing a form letter. Each weed abatement notice can require as many as five visits from a fire chief:
Patterson Fire Marshal Steve Hall said the work can get tedious, but he doesn’t see weed abatement as merely a necessary evil.  The backyard of an empty house on Peregrine Avenue is strewn with weeds. The landscaping of foreclosed homes often falls into disrepair, creating a fire hazard and offering a home to vermin and other animals. Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator “It’s not just a fire hazard; it’s a nuisance,” he said. “It can create vermin. It brings in animals. It’s always a concern. “It’s all part of our job. Public safety does not detract from our daily duties. It just adds more.” Still, some wish the fire department didn’t have to deal with such tedium. “The fire department is more about (handling) more important and more major issues of public safety,” said Councilman Dominic Farinha. “I’m glad the city has been able to orchestrate this so we can rectify the problem, but it’s not what I would hope to see the fire department doing.” The impact of the recent rise in weed abatements extends beyond the fire department. It’s been a boon for landscaping contractors and a burden for some real estate agents. Real estate agents who take on bank-owned listings are often saddled with the responsibility of hiring landscapers to deal with overgrown lawns when weed abatement notices are served. Some of them even do the work themselves, while some try to maintain yards that are still in decent shape to avoid weed problems.  Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Even that can be a challenge. “We had one where a dog had chewed up (the sprinkler) system,” said Julie Amaral, part owner of Amaral and Associates in Patterson. “It was running for half an hour one night and flooded the neighbor’s yard.” While real estate agents must take on the added work of maintaining a yard or getting one fixed, it’s prompted a boom of competition among landscapers. Henry Chavez, who runs the Chavez Enterprises landscaping company in Patterson, said he recently did close to 300 weed abatement jobs in a single year. Now, though, he said the proliferation of new landscaping companies has brought prices down too low for him to consider taking these jobs. While there used to be five companies bidding for city contracts, he said, there are now as many as 25. “In the past, it’s been great,” Chavez said. “It takes a little while to get paid (through the city), but you work for the money, and it’s like money in the bank. “Lately, it hasn’t been worth it for us to bid.” To contact James Leonard at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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 written by Kelly , August 10, 2008
While many yards in Patterson are overgrown due to the foreclosure epidemic, there are many that are downright neglected by their owners due to lack of time, laziness, etc. The city should think about having a neighborhood beautification day 4 times a year where people go out and make it a point to clean up their yards and if wanted the neighboring yards as well. This would help keep yards from becoming overgrown, as well as show pride of ownership and allow neighbors to come together and get to know one another.
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