Mayor Discusses Beautification Ordinance Changes In Advance Of Vote

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Common Council will consider several ordinances Monday night intended to address the way the city looks. Mayor Becky Glewen discussed the proposed changes with us Friday on WBEV’s Community Comment. Among the ordinance changes is the requirement of where cars can park. Former Mayor Tom Kennedy championed ordinance changes that prevented parking on lawns. Several property owners responded by pouring driveways parallel to the front of their house. Glewen’s changes would require vehicles be parked perpendicular to the front of the house, unless approved by the building inspector. She says existing concrete pads would be grandfathered-in but could not be used for parking while gravel pads would have to return to lawn. There is also a lot of “good repair” wording being added to city code. As in: exterior walls and stairways, decks, porches, decorative features, awnings, fire escapes and fences must be structurally sound and “in good repair.” Firewood would have to be stored in straight, orderly piles a minimum of three inches off the ground and not more than six feet in height. Garage doors must function and be able to close “reasonably plumb.” Zoning, junk and debris violations would continue to carry fee for a violation of $100 for the initial re-inspection. Beyond the first re-inspection, the fee could compound up by $100 each week to a maximum of $400, every seven to ten days for each re-inspection. Glewen notes that there are low-interest loans and also grants for those who meet income eligibility guidelines.  The ordinance changes were approved by the city’s Plan Commission and headed directly to the common council where a second reading and vote is planned tonight (Monday).