Austin resident contests code citation as unjust and inconsistent.
Austin Resident Cited for Wildflowers in Her Front Yard
A resident in Northeast Austin claims that she was unfairly cited by the Austin Code Department for her front yard plants, which she insists are wildflowers and native plants, not weeds. Maigret Pinshaw said that she was simply displaying a wildflower garden in her front yard, but according to city code, weeds and grass on private properties cannot be more than 12 inches high. Many of Pinshaw’s plants are over a foot tall, leading to a misunderstanding with the city code.
On June 12, FOX 7 visited Pinshaw after a representative from the Austin Code Department had left. Pinshaw spent the time showing the officer and FOX 7 different varieties of plants, including wildflowers and native plants. She explained how these plants contribute to water filtration, which is essential due to the location of her property at the bottom of a hill. Pinshaw also pointed out that there is a “wildflower meadow” clause on the city’s website.
According to Pinshaw, the clause states that you should let the wildflowers go through all their flowering cycles before cutting them. Waiting for the plants to naturally drop their seeds is vital because it stimulates the local ecology. Pinshaw’s case is in contrast with the situation at AFD Station #51 where firefighters want to cut plants that have overrun the property, but this is not allowed.
The Austin Code Department cited Pinshaw due to the high growth of her plants, but Pinshaw argues that they’re not weeds and are instead contributing to the environment’s natural functionality. Regulations for city-owned properties vary from those for private ones, but Pinshaw finds the city’s standards contradictory. City code indicates that it is an affirmative defense to a violation if the weeds or grasses on a property do not reduce or impair visibility and if they fall under certain categories, including “a landscaped area arranged and managed consistent with a plan accepted by the City, which area includes native or adapted vegetation, where weed control and other periodic maintenance occurs.”
Pinshaw is now waiting for the code department to get back to her regarding the status of her case. While she waits, Pinshaw continues to hold firm that you should “let nature do what it wants to do.”
