City Of American Canyon Online Community Forums

Hello All,

I have been living in the Montevino Community for over 4 years, and I am noticing that as the property value goes up, some of the property owners are doing less, and less to preserve the value of the homes in our community.

Currently, we are living in homes that are valued at $750,000-$869,000 and their are people in our community that:

Let their grass grow to an unsightly level, or let it turn light brown.
Leave boats parked on the street for weeks at a time.
Leave unsightly vehicles (that are inoperable) on the street for more than 3 days.
Put security bars on the window.
Park cars in the opposite direction on the street. etc.
*All of these type of things are sure signs of a deteriating community.

Since, the community does not have a home owner association to monitor violations, I would like to form a beautification committe to be a "sounding board" for home owners in our community who "give a darn," and who would like to see the equity in their home contine to grow.

If you are interested in being a part of this committe, please email back to this website with your comments.

We have that trouble too. People have no respect for thier property or thier neighbors. We don't have a homeowners association either. It's kinda a "live and let live" philosophy. Not that I agree with it, but it is sure better than complaining about your neighbor and getting robbed or your tires slashed.

I think the city should handle it. They have codes let them get busy and ticket the problems. Especially if they are a hazard to the public. We went through this a few years back and I thought the residents reached a happy medium and then they went overboard with that hedge guy. So who knows. For me I am surrounded by campers, boats, and broke down junk that hasn't moved for years. We have a rat problem in our neighborhood because of all of the weeds and hiding places.

I have been up there, it is a shame that it looks that bad for only five years old, good luck with your quest, but it still looks better than my neighborhood if that is any consolation.

We live on the western edge of Am Can in the Victoria Faire development. This is, and has been, a hot-button issue for us.

It is truly discouraging, disheartening, and embarassing how bad this problem has become. Honestly, Jeff Foxworthy could do an entire show based on the parking or storage of junker cars, trailers, RV's etc. and poorly maintained properties in this town.

We were optimistic that as home values increased (even in the old areas) and the newest developments (residential & commercial) were built that this problem would improve. Clearly, not only has it not improved, it seems to be getting worse.

It is a fact that certain residents are profoundly inconsiderate, but it is also a fact that they are taking advantage of what the city allows them to do and get away with. Our so called Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance is so full of loopholes you could drain pasta in it.

The one saving grace was you could report violations anonymously. Now, thanks to C. Shaver & company, you have to provide your name & address. Obviously, their very transparent ulterior motive was to discourage the reporting of violations. Furthermore, the code enforcement officer cannot independently cite residents or property owners---it is strictly complaint driven. Geez, why even bother having an ordinance or a code enforcement officer; it is far more frustrating to have this artificial, pseudo ordinance & enforcement.

Beauty Queen, there are residents from all neighborhoods who would be interested in "beautifying" Am Can. I also think it would be more effective in creating change if this effort was represented on a citywide basis.

I certainly would be interested in joining such a group.

We put the Neighborhood Preservation Ord on the books some time ago but and "the gang" you mentioned killed off all the strong parts about it... particularly "staff oversight and review". I have several posts on this in this site about this and you should read around.

I see many folks storing garbage bins (and thus I guess garbage) in their front yard. Not only is this unhealthy but it is clearly a violation of health and safety codes that the City s/b held liable for if your children become ill or worse being near the bacteria and odors this causes due to "lack of enforcement". This is the current council's "vision" of American Canyon.

A complaint-based system is a cowardly way to run a City... the council knows what is the right thing to do... they lack courage and tenacity.

All I can say is "throw them out" and get some candidates into council who understand that to better a community, everyone needs to have a spirit of neatness and decorum. And if Appalachia (sic) over there doesn't like it, tell them they should not have incorporated.

It is a pity that the 1996 election led us to the pitiable state this community is in and the "characters" in charge don't seem to get it.

MeadowsGuy: I have read your other posts re: this particular subject & problem, and I agree with you.

Due to their rabid, paranoid stance on property rights, Colcleaser, Shaver, the old RAA group and all their cronies have created a situation with long-lasting, detrimental effects.

This is not going to change until we have City Council members who vote for stricter codes and better enforcement with real consequences for violators---especially those residents who chronically or flagrantly disregard/ignore our codes.

In terms of candidates seeking to replace L. Luporini, I believe P. Maguire to be the only candidate who has stated supporting stricter codes & enforcement in order to improve the appearance of our city and neighborhoods. He also publicly opposed the change requiring residents to identify themselves when registering a complaint.

It is my impression that J. Bennet would want to maintain the status quo, and E. West states on his website that he supports "ownership rights" (Huge Red Flag).

Unfortunately, I don't think this situation is going to change for the better anytime soon.

I agree this is becoming a terrible and growing problem in our community. I am disappointed & concerned.

Decision makers in other cities are creating and enforcing ordinances to "clean-up" neighborhoods and prevent residents from using their front and backyards for clunker cars and discarded junk. This city is doing the opposite. Selfish, thoughtless, and disrespectful residents have more rights than those who are responsible and maintain their properties. Can someone please tell me what's wrong with this picture?!!!

Drive down Crawford, Melvin, or Northampton (to name just a few streets) for prime examples of properties that are huge eyesores. There's even a car up on jacks (on a driveway) on Wetland's Edge Rd.---a street with some of the more expensive real estate around here.

There are also areas that look like RV, boat, and trailer storage parks. It's bad enough that residents are allowed to park these anywhere they'll fit on their property, but they also can park them on public streets. Yeah, I know there is a 3 day limit, but the owners just play the drive it around the block or up&down the street game, so the RV's are never out of sight. Not only is this unsightly, but these residents also monopolize the street parking.

Yardley and MeadowsGuy are right about the city code ordinance being totally useless. I could go on and on with examples of why it is useless but suffice it to say it is an ordinance in name only.

I'm not talking about dictating house colors, landscaping, or window styles
But, in the same way you expect students or employees to maintain a minimal level of grooming, it is not unreasonable to expect residents to do the same with their properties and the neighborhoods they live in.

Very presumptious you ASSUME Joan and Ed's position on an item and in the sentences above clearly endorse Maguire.Why don't you ask their position before you start putting words in their mouths?

Just a smal lpersonal observation. Mr. Maguire seems to be having difficulty maintaning that project in his own yard. Yet y'all seem to think he can handle the city's problems. Or are my eyes lying to me?

Despite the speculation and expectations. Homeowners are responsible for their own yards. Neither the city or the council can MAKE anyone, through legislation, mow their lawn or sweep in front of their yards or move the wreck.

Why not walk to their front door and kindly mention it to them? The direct approach usually is the most effective.

One of my neighbors had difficulty maintaining her lawn. I suggested my son go over to her yard with mower in tow. Guess what? He got a regular job and problema solved.

VicRiv: It is you who is being presumptuous reading between the lines to draw conclusions or find hidden meaning. I hope you do not do your fact checking this way for your column.

I stated it is my IMPRESSION that J. Bennet would not pursue code enforcement changes---this means it is MY OPINION! What I wrote re: E. West and P. Maguire is factual and can be verified via Ed's website and Paul's articles in The Napa Post. If you can refer me to a source where all the candidates, including Joan and Ed, clearly and directly state their position on this issue, please do so.

You are making a huge leap concluding that what I wrote is a blanket endorsement for P. Maguire. I am still evaluating who I will be voting for. However, this is an important issue to me, so, it stands to reason it will be an important consideration in who I vote for.

You are right, you cannot force people to mow their lawns or get rid of their wrecks anymore than you can force people to obey the speed limit or stop at a red light. This does not mean you do not have traffic laws, and it does not mean you do not have codes and ordinances with consequences for violating them.

You are fortunate that your "approach and talk" to your neighbor method was effective. I am willing to bet, however, that you had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and that your offer to help would be welcomed. You also probably did not feel you would be jeopardizing your personal safety or property damage in approaching this particular neighbor.

In any case, it has been my experience, and that of other residents I have talked to, that not only is this approach usually ineffective, but very often results in unease & anxiety or threats of one kind or another. This is not a perfect world, and people can be vindictive and act impulsively.

Do you seriously believe that residents who engage in the most egregious types of this behavior are going to clean-up their properties, move their RV's, or stop roaring their motorcycles down the street because you knock on their door and say pretty please. Unless they are truly from the backwoods, they know perfectly well this is inconsiderate and devalues our neighborhoods. They just plain don't care and (to their way of thinking) don't want to be told what to do or made to change their ways.

Thank you for the discourse.

VicRiv: I wanted to point out that in making the comments you made re: P. Maguire, you engaged in the very same type of "mud slinging" that you decried in your I Have A Question posting. Hmm...

It's funny you mention MUD slinging-because that's exactly what someone's home beautification project has been leaving all over the neighborhood for MONTHS.

That's my point.

I understand it rained significantly in April-but in the time this project has been going on- a good majority of Canyon Corners has been built. That's my point.

Mudslinging??

I have a suggestion as to what I would like to see the city do regarding the many eyesore properties in AC. Has anyone ever thought of bringing in large garbage recepticles for a couple of days to encourage those who are too lazy to throw out things or unwilling or unable to go to the transfer station with their unwanted items they like to store in their front yards? This possibly could be arranged with or in place of the free dump pass month (if that will still be available since we changed companies).

As for the residents that cannot (due to age or illness) keep their lawns trimmed possibly this new resource center in town could arrange to take calls from the elderly and solicite volunteers within the community whether it be an individual or group organization. There may even be a fundraising idea here.

Also, I think that the city be shown by example. All employees, council members and etc. should be required to follow the codes set forth in AC regarding their property's appearance.

I also am of the belief that having to identify yourself when complaining about a neighbor is totally the wrong approach.

I hope that code enforcement will to be revisited again by the city staff and council.

I think your suggestions (dumpsters & volunteers) to facilitate property clean-up or help those residents who have physical limitations are excellent. I think a lot of us (myself included) would be willing to include a few extra bucks with the water bill (if cost is an issue) to make this happen.

I agree that having to identify yourself if you want to file a code enforcement complaint is the wrong approach and accomplishes nothing. The only reason I've heard from Councilmember Shaver and other residents for this is so residents "can meet their accusers". What a joke!

It either is or isn't a code violation. People aren't charged with a crime or issued a fine. Judging from how bad this problem is becoming and how many years some properties have had the same problems, the fall-out for violating a code is pretty insignificant. The code enforcement system in this town is a big joke.

Someone here mentioned talking to your neighbors to resolve these sort of problems. Well, it hasn't worked for us. I talked to one lady about how when her sons and their friends play ball (in the street) they trespassed onto our property & had damamged some landscaping. She flew into a rage and stated that she pays her property taxes and has property rights that entitled her kids to play outside whenever they want to. My husband approached another neighbor to request that he park his large motor home/RV elsewhere on his property or at least move it further away from the fence, so we weren't hit-up with what looked the upper half of a Greyhound bus when we were in our backyard. He politely listened but responded that it was not convenient to park it anywhere else because he would have to turn it around whenever "they loaded it up". I don't know how inconvenient it could possibly be since they've only used it twice in the last 2 years.

So much for the direct, touchy-feely approach. Even though it is unlikely that someone would physically harm you, who wants to take the chance or live with the fear.

I also hope this code enforcement issue is reevaluated & revamped.

VicRiv: You can spin your Maguire statements ad infinitum, but it does not change your very obvious intent which was to be discrediting and insulting. You can't have it both ways and talk out both sides of your mouth and then accuse others of what you refer to as mud-slinging. Some might say this is hypocritical.

From topic "GOOD NEWS in AMCAN' Posted by Mr. Maguire 4/27/2005

'Thus, in my view chief, you get REASONS or you get RESULTS- and there just isnt much else.'

Factual statement. Majority of Canyon Corners has been build in the same timeframe Maguire's yard project has been under construction.

So how is this insulting? or discreting? or mud-slinging?
You may live in a delusional world filled with fiction.
But my eyes don't lie.

You should try the truth sometime. It may seem strange at first-but it's easier the second time and the next. "The truth will set you free"!

Here we have a prime example of someone that neighbor's feel is not keeping the mud from his yard under control. What an opportunity for you VicRiv to test your theory:
"Why not walk to their front door and kindly mention it to them? The direct approach usually is the most effective."

Please keep us updated on your results. Maybe we really don't need those code enforcement regulations.

VicRiv: Since you seem to be seeking reassurance, I wanted to make sure you know you are not hallucinating, your eyes are not deceiving you, that yes, there has been a lot of progress made (even during a very long rainy season) towards completing Canyon Corners.

Other than you mentioning this in an attempt to make a point, the construction progress of Canyon Corners has no relevance in this particular post discussing code enforcement or the lack thereof.

It is you who live in the Land of Oz, and you clearly see yourself as the Wizard. I'm sure you think you are being clever and brilliant, but more often than not, your statements sound like nonsensical ramblings and rarely have any merit.

If you want to play "Spin Doctor", please take a few classes, so you can do a better job at it, and we can at least be entertained and challenged when we read what you write.

I, too, would like to suggest you follow your own advice and talk to P. Maguire in a direct, kind way. Heck, why don't you go all over town kindly talking to residents about their eyesore properties. If you get the job done, more power to you.

How about I get a job as fact checker for your paper?
Talk about fantasy, fiction and delusional. Now you've elevated yourself to moderator of this forum?
It's all in fun. Later CC!

Victor- I am not any of these people you are so critical of. In fact I couldn't even sign on because I forgot my initial password. I am concerned over your assumption that I am one of these folks. Sorry I am not.

I can say what I need to with my own name. We don't need a fact-checker as the Post is the most reliable source of news there is. We might need a spell checker I will acknowledge that.

I believe that you are firm in your beliefs and for that I commend you. What I don't like is that you criticize Paul Maguire for having issues with his yard. Did you take the time to learn that the contractor is being pursued criminally for taking the "money and running?" Also before you can hire somebody else to finish the job there are proceedures to follow are you aware of them?

It is unfortunate that as soon as he is capable of finishing the job legally and get the site cleaned up, the pool completed, and the yard re-landscaped that a neighbor who for the purposes of this post shall remain nameless but is affiliated with the 4th of July committee called one of our officers after harassing the contractor and threatening to call "INS" to have him deported. She continue to use profanity and vulgar language while instructing him on how to do his job.

This contractor is a licensed professional with the state, maintains a city business license and is a homeowner in Vintage Ranch who was doing Paul a favor to expedite the clean up. There was no call placed to dispatch and the call was made to an officer direct. That is a direct abuse of taxpayer dollars for personal use. It is unfortunate that the officer became involved in what is obviously a civil dispute between two neighbors.

We all have our favorite candidates but it is important to not confuse issues that face the city with idle gossip. Our city deserves somebody who will set a positive example and not somebody who has a history of flying off the handle or poor leadership ability. It is time the city is run like a business because in effect it is a business.

I am not sure why you "hate" me as I always thought our exchanges were positive. I can't let it bother me as I have 15k other constituents to answer to and not everybody will be happy all of the time. I will say that during my first year I was a people pleaser but in reality it just impossible. I can only do my best by gathering the appropriate information, asking the right questions and protecting the rights of the citizens and making sure it is all on record.

Bottom line as I was told by a fellow active councilmember I cannot be responsible for your happiness too I can only be reasonable and fair. You have my email. If you have any other questions I look forward to hearing from you. Cindy Coffey

Victor, I looked at the logs, Cindy didnt make those previous posts you are mentioning, they dont match up to any one person. Thank you.