Springdale, AR Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Springdale's overgrown-lot rule was clarified by ordinance in 2018 after persistent enforcement gaps. The standard: weeds and plants may be no taller than 12 inches within 12 feet of property adjacent to a subdivision or road, and owners must keep all fence rows within that 12-foot strip free of grass, weeds, and brush. Owners or occupants of private property along a street or alley must also keep the abutting street clear of tall grass, weeds, debris, and similar material - and leaves, grass clippings, and bulky waste may not be left on streets or sidewalks. Enforcement is handled by Code Enforcement at 201 Spring Street under Chapter 42 of the Code of Ordinances using the Arkansas Municipal Authority workflow: A.C.A. §14-54-901 (Arkansas cities are empowered to order owners to cut weeds and remove rubbish), A.C.A. §14-54-903 (seven-day written notice before the city may abate), and A.C.A. §14-54-904 (city's abatement costs become a lien on the real property). When a Code Enforcement Officer documents a violation, a warning is posted at the property identifying the violation and giving the owner seven days to correct. If uncorrected, the City contracts the mowing/cleanup, bills the owner, and records a lien with the Washington County Circuit Clerk if unpaid. The fence-row rule is important in Springdale because so many residential and rural-fringe parcels carry fence lines back to mid-century rural-route ownership - the City explicitly imposes the duty to clear that strip even when the rest of the lot is mowed. Open burning of cleared brush within Springdale city limits is restricted under Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (ADEQ) Air Pollution Control Regulation No. 18 and requires Fire Marshal authorization in most circumstances.