Somerville treats noxious and overgrown weeds as nuisance property. There is no specific weed species list, but Inspectional Services can order abatement under property maintenance rules.
Somerville does not maintain a local list of prohibited noxious weeds (those are regulated at the federal and state level by USDA and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources). Locally, weeds become a code issue when they are tall enough to harbor rats or mosquitoes, when they invade public ways or neighboring lots, or when they create blight. Under 105 CMR 410 and the Somerville Municipal Code property maintenance provisions, Inspectional Services can issue a notice of violation for overgrowth. Invasive species like Japanese knotweed and oriental bittersweet are common nuisances in Somerville yards; owners are encouraged (not required) to manage them. Fines typically start at 50 to 100 dollars per day until abated.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle weed ordinances.
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