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HAZE Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 8, 2002 Talent code enforcement officer Frank Falsarella looks through dew-covered windows at an abandoned car across from the Talent post office on Monday morning. The city recently began enforcing city codes. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Schoolhouse Road dispute sends Talent toward enforcement of rules about cars, weeds and trash By ANITA BURKE for the Mail Tribune TALENT — A neighborhood conflict may change the way the city handles problems such as abandoned cars, overgrown weeds and trash in yards. A group of property owners on Schoolhouse Road complained to the City Council last month about vehicles, trash and yard debris stored at 170 Schoolhouse Road, the home of Bill Voss and his wife, Cheryl Nadler-Voss, chairwoman of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. Neighbors said the city ignored complaints. The council asked the city planner and code enforcement officer to report on what they had done to resolve the complaints. Neighbors again returned to the council looking for answers at last week’s council meeting. Voss defended the way he keeps his property, and the city eyed changes it might make to its ordinances to balance aesthetics and individual rights. The city’s nuisance ordinances were adopted in the 1970s and 1980s but weren’t enforced, City Planner Kevin Cronin wrote in his report. Two years ago, the City Council decided to tackle abandoned cars, overgrown vegetation and trash that blights the town. They hired a part-time code enforcement officer, Frank Falsarella, a former Talent mayor who had worked in law enforcement in California. He responds to complaints but doesn’t search out violations. Falsarella noted that problems at 170 Schoolhouse Road existed before he became code enforcement officer. He said four to seven vehicles regularly are parked in the yard, and cars are parked on the street, sometimes blocking access to neighbors’ mailboxes, interrupting mail delivery. No laws restrict parking in front of mailboxes, and the city has no limit on the number of automobiles a person can keep at home, he said. If a vehicle is parked on a city street for more than 72 hours, it’s considered abandoned and can be towed. To determine if a vehicle is abandoned, Falsarella marks the tires and the pavement with chalk so he can tell if it’s moved. If a car doesn’t move in three days, he tags it with a notice that the city will impound the car in five days if it isn’t moved. At 170 Schoolhouse, the vehicles are regularly moved from one spot to another. Falsarella suggested that the council clarify how far a vehicle must be moved. Other cities require moving 500 to 750 linear feet, he said. Neighbors claim that Voss sells vehicles from his home. The state allows individuals to sell five vehicles a year without a dealer’s license, and if Voss sells more, it would be an infraction for the state to deal with, city officials said. Voss said he collects vehicles as a hobby. Voss also stores in the vehicles items to trade and sell at flea markets, Cronin said. The city explored whether Voss needs a business license but hasn’t proved that he makes transactions as part of a business, Cronin said. Voss said he has tried to comply with complaints about trash by going to a dump more often and plans to take advantage of a free chipping service to dispose of yard waste. A Jackson County Vector Control District worker inspected the property for claims that trash was attracting rats and cockroaches and found no violations. Neighbors complained that the unkempt appearance of the property lessened their property values, but no documents to support such claims were presented. Cronin said with evidence of lowered property values, Voss could be cited under an ordinance that prohibits maintaining property in a way that damages the value of adjacent property. "I see nothing to cite Mr. Voss into court," said Mayor Marian Telerski, noting that animosity in the neighborhood needs to be worked out. The council recommended that the neighbors seek help from Mediation Works, a Medford conflict-resolution group. "We don’t need mediation. We need a solution," said Carol Anderson, one of the neighbors displeased with the city response. "We’re asking for the unsightliness to be removed." "I think mediation would be a great thing," Falsarella said. He said he tries to resolve disputes amicably. In the last two years, he’s dealt with 500 cases and only four of them have gone to court, he said. Still, he supports changes that would give him more tools to tackle nuisances. "We do need to review the nuisance ordinances," said Councilman Doug Turner. Anita Burke is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail her at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S