Commercial Operations in Residental R-1

They were at again, so we drafted a little note to the city.  Names omitted to protect the guilty.

Residents of our street seek city intervention against BUSINESS for operating a hazardous commercial landscaping business without permits, causing increased traffic, noise, and toxic smoke, jeopardizing community health and safety.

Again, on Saturday, July 13, we contacted the CITY Fire Department to address an unattended fire at the residence of 1309.

Currently, this residential address is occupied by BUSINESS.  Speaking with the owner in March 2024, he indicated his intent to use the location to operate a full-service commercial landscaping operation.

We observed this, with operations increasing exponentially since that time.

In April 2024, BUSINESS expanded parking across the front of the address to accommodate their employees.  They further expanded parking across most of the front yard, stretched a gravel driveway down to the back of the house and spread more gravel for parking across the back of the house.

Vehicular traffic begins after 6 am, filling the parking lot across the front for most of the day.  The increasing volume of traffic at this location often blocks the road with large construction vehicles and trailers.

Additionally, BUSINESS returns daily from job sites with trash and other debris from their business.  It consists of various types of yard waste, as well as treated lumber, in the form of fence posts and panels.  They unload at the address and pile the waste around the back yard.  What can be burned is piled next to a fire pit, where it is later burned, filling the air with smoke containing arsenic, chromium and copper, and other highly toxic elements.

We contacted the CITY Fire Department May 17, 2024.  They confronted the operation on that that date, when they were openly burning treated lumber and fence panels, unattended, filling the air with toxic smoke.  Several adults and small children in the neighborhood were affected by respiratory distress, headaches, and associated illnesses.

Since that date, the burn pile was moved closer to the house, under a tree.  They seem to burn these hazardous materials overnight and at hours when nobody is around.  It leaves the same smell in the air though and continues to cause respiratory distress.

We need this operation to cease and desist immediately!

To our knowledge, there has been no permitting applied for or approved, nor has zoning been modified to enable the following at the residential address:

• Operation of a nonretail, commercial, light industrial operation on property zoned as residential District R-1,
• Storage of large commercial vehicles on site,
• Expansion of parking along the frontage of the property,
• Installation of a driveway to the back of the property,
• Installation of a gravel parking lot in the back of the property,
• Storage of trash on site,
• Storage of yard waste on site
• Storge of hazardous waste on site,
• Burning trash on site,
• Disposal of toxic waste through burning on site.