Glencoe Board Reminds Residents to Keep Grass Below 8"

The spring rains have left Glencoe looking better than ever, in the words of one trustee, but as the village heads into summer, the June meeting of the board of trustees was a reminder to keep lawns neat and tidy.

“There are non-occupied homes where grass is very tall — very tall,” said Trustee Bruce Cowans. “There is some obligation of home ownership to maintain properties.”

A village ordinance restricts the height of grass to eight inches on private lawns or in the public right-of-way in front of homes, which homeowners are responsible to keep cut.

Public Works Director Dave Mau said if lawns get above that height, the village will call upon the homeowners. If they can't be reached, a letter will be sent out. The homeowner then has seven days to comply or the village will send in a private contractor to cut the grass and then bill the homeowner.

“Most will respond,” Mau said. “We rarely contract on homes that are occupied. Typically, they are vacant homes or homes in transition.”

Cowans worried that a rise in foreclosed homes might be creating a nuisance for neighbors or even make homes with unkempt lawns a target for vandalism or burglary, but Mau said he thought the village was on top of it.

In other news:

• Trustee Keki Bhote said that keeping the New Trier Township Food Pantry full has been “a constant battle.” The pantry is located at 739 Elm Street in Winnetka and serves qualified residents of the township, including Glencoe. Grand Food Center held a food drive for the pantry on Friday. “I think there is a dire need,” said Bhote.

• in North America according to a taste test by the American Water Works Association. The village came in second to Greenville, S.C., and was tied with Denver, Colo. Both of those cities can boast spring-fed mountain water while Glencoe has only Lake Michigan. “We don't have too many mountains around here and we turned out pretty good,” said Village President Scott Feldman.

• The board approved a $100,000 grant from the state of Illinois to replace the limestone railings on a Sheridan Road bridge south of Maple Hill Road. Mau said that the railings are only about 40 years old, but have not held up well in the Great Lakes climate. The grant will cover 100 percent of the costs for the bridge on Sheridan Road, which is an unmarked state highway.