Catie Cheshire
Audio By Carbonatix
With all the rain this summer, unchecked vegetation has been growing like, well, weeds in many Denver neighborhoods, and citiations for unkempt yards are also on the rise.
Certain areas, such as Athmar Park, seem to have been hit particularly hard by the notices, making residents wonder whether a neighbor is ratting on them or the city is simply getting busy. “People were saying their whole block was getting notices,” Athmar’s Marc Hoffman says, noting that something seems off about the deluge of citations. “Even the most Karen-est Karen, how many streets do they really care about?”
In their comments on the Westword Facebook posts of the weed story, residents reveal that they care a lot about how the city looks. Says Andres:
This has been an issue in our neighborhood. In addition to being unsightly, the weeds can block traffic views for pedestrians and drivers when they grow too large.
Responds Robbie:
Vegetation is generally a plus…cuts down on heat.
Counters Nick:
The right vegetation, but you also need to keep sidewalks accessible for people to walk. Those being warned first are those whose weeds impede the sidewalk.
Notes Brent:
It would be nice if the city would cite itself for the weeds along the frontage road in our neighborhood.
Adds Bobby:
It’s funny that the city has the audacity to cite for weeds, when right across the street from my house (on city property) are piles of trash created by homeless encampments that they do nothing about. But yeah, keep the cash grab up, Denver.
Concludes Al:
What’s happened to the City Beautiful? I see weeds all over…particularly on city property, like parks.
Have you noticed more weeds in Denver this summer? Have you been cited? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.