Spring brings flowers and a fresh carpet of green to the hills surrounding San Benito County, but it also sprouts weeds that can eventually be a fire hazard or safety issue.
In its annual effort to address unchecked fields of weeds, the city of Hollister recently began its weed abatement program to encourage property owners to take care of the problem before the city has to.
The Hollister City Council last week approved a resolution declaring the condition of certain properties a public nuisance and ordering the abatement of weeds on those lots. The resolution starts the legal process for the weed abatement effort by notifying property owners that the identified land should be cleaned up by May 11 or the city will perform the work and charge the costs as a lien filed against the property.
This year’s list includes 323 weed-ridden properties in the city limits, including privately- and publicly-owned lots. Among the locations noted on the list are the United States Post Office at 100 Maple Street; the county jail on Flynn Road; portions of the Highway 25 bypass; San Benito High School; and Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital on Sunset Drive.
A number of lots in unfinished subdivisions also made the list.
The city’s resolution notes that the weedy lots are a public nuisance “by virtue of the existence of noxious and dangerous weeds and rubbish thereon, which constitute a fire hazard.”
Hollister Fire Capt. Michael O’Connor, who is in charge of the weed abatement program, previously said even weeds that are not dried out are a hazard because they can be a site for illegal dumping.
The Hollister City Council will hold a public hearing May 21 to hear any objections to properties listed on the weed abatement list.
