York County supervisors debate new "overgrowth" ordinance; staff told to couch rules in public-safety terms

York County supervisors on June 3 reopened debate on proposed amendments that would add a defined "overgrowth" category to existing property-maintenance rules, covering overgrown shrubs, trees, noxious weeds and invasive vines.

The discussion focused on when county action would be justified and how enforcement would work. Planning staffer Caitlin said the draft ties removal authority to narrow safety-related conditions and to an enforcement timeline modeled on the county's grass ordinance: "We'd provide a written notice of violation annually running 7 days to correct," she told the board, and after a single notice a contractor could abate repeated violations in the same year and place a lien for costs.

The board and staff said the proposal is complaint-driven and not intended as a general aesthetics code. Caitlin said grounds for county action in the draft include vegetation that obscures address numerals or mailboxes, vegetation that obstructs pedestrian or vehicular traffic or that prevents emergency access to windows, doors or paths, vegetation physically growing into and damaging a structure, and other…