Richmond enforces overgrown weeds and brush as a City blight / property-maintenance violation through Code Enforcement, and the Richmond Fire Department's Fire Prevention Services Division also runs an Exterior Fire Hazard & Weed Abatement program for hazardous vegetation visible from the street, with on-site inspections inside the city's mapped fire hazard severity zone. Parcels in the State Responsibility Area or Fire Hazard Severity Zone are additionally subject to California Public Resources Code Section 4291 defensible-space rules.
Two complementary programs apply to vegetation hazards in Richmond. (1) The City of Richmond, through Code Enforcement (510-621-1279), enforces the property-maintenance / blight rules that require grass to be maintained at six inches or less and prohibit overgrown weeds, bushes, trees, and vegetation. Code Enforcement's published scope expressly includes 'overgrown vegetation,' junk and debris, abandoned / vacant properties, and inoperable vehicles. (2) The Richmond Fire Department's Fire Prevention Services Division operates an Exterior Fire Hazard & Weed Abatement Complaint Form: a fire inspector reviews each complaint and 'an on-site inspection of the property will take place if the hazard is determined to be within the fire hazard severity zone,' with the limitation that 'any weed violations must be clearly visible from the street' because, 'due to legal restrictions on search and entry, the Richmond Fire Department is not permitted to climb fences, enter homes, or access properties through backyards to investigate weed complaints.' When the Fire Prevention Services Division confirms a fire risk, 'the Fire Prevention Services Division will issue a notice requiring the property owner to take necessary steps to address the hazard.' Above and beyond Richmond's own rules, parcels in a State Responsibility Area or a Fire Hazard Severity Zone (the East Bay hillside portions of the City) are subject to California Public Resources Code Section 4291, which requires owners to 'maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line,' with 'more intense fuel reductions being utilized between 5 and 30 feet around the structure, and an ember-resistant zone being required within 5 feet of the structure.'
Code Enforcement (City): notice of violation, administrative citation, and if uncorrected, City-performed abatement (mow/cut) with cost recovery and lien on the property tax bill. Richmond Fire (Fire Hazard Severity Zone): the Fire Prevention Services Division issues a notice requiring the owner to address the hazard, with progressive enforcement and the ability to abate at the owner's cost if the hazard remains. PRC Section 4291 violations in the SRA can also be enforced by Cal Fire with civil and criminal penalties under Public Resources Code Sections 4291.3 / 4421.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Richmond, CA
Amplified sound in Richmond requires consideration of time, place, and audibility. Outdoor amplified music audible beyond the property line during quiet hour...
Richmond, CA
Construction and demolition activity in Richmond is generally permitted Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Constructio...
Richmond, CA
Richmond's nighttime quiet hours run from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM on weekdays and Saturdays, and until 8:00 AM on Sundays and holidays. During these hours, ampli...
Richmond, CA
Richmond prohibits overnight parking and vehicle storage in its paid city lots, enforces the 72-hour limit on all streets day and night, and only allows slee...
Richmond, CA
Richmond limits any vehicle to a maximum of 72 consecutive hours parked on a public street or alley, and operates a Neighborhood Permit Parking (NPP) Program...
Richmond, CA
Richmond requires a Planning Department permit for every residential fence regardless of height, plus a separate building permit for any fence 6 feet or tall...
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