Do I need City approval to maintain my yard?

No. Maintenance of existing residential landscaping is not regulated by the SMP. Vegetation management standards in the SMP do not apply retroactively to existing lawfully established uses and developments, including maintenance of existing residential landscaping, such as lawns and gardens. Property owners are strongly encouraged to voluntarily improve shoreline vegetation conditions over the long term.

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1. Hasn’t the City’s SMP been challenged and overturned in court?
2. Aren’t requirements for shoreline buffers and setbacks a “taking” of private property rights?
3. We keep hearing that the SMP has drastically lowered our property values and will make it extremely difficult to sell our home. Is this true?
4. Can I be fined for not getting City approval for everyday activities?
5. Do I need City approval to maintain my yard?
6. Can I make changes in my garden without City approval?
7. Do I need City approval to prune my trees?
8. If I remove a hazard tree (dead, diseased or dying), do I have to leave it in my yard?
9. Is the goal of the SMP to phase out all single-family docks over time?
10. Is the intent of the SMP to phase out all homes & docks on the shoreline over time?
11. Can I replace my bulkhead under the new SMP?
12. I keep hearing that the new SMP made virtually every home along the shore “non-conforming.” Is this true?
13. How is my existing shoreline home affected by the new buffer standards in the updated SMP?
14. Can I rebuild my house in the same location if it burns down?
15. If my home is unoccupied for 12 months in a row, do I forfeit the right to live in my house?