We know there are lots of folks in the city that are already doing this and Dayton wants to know who you are. Or maybe you are thinking about mowing a nearby vacant property, but you want to let the City of Dayton know about it, saving citizens valuable dollars. We now have a program and website to share that information: Care a Lot.
Though the City of Dayton attempts to mow vacant lots three times yearly (billing the service to property owners when possible), grass and weeds can get ahead of the process during warm weather months. The City is encouraging residents, businesses and organizations to join in the effort to make our neighborhoods beautiful, and the Care A Lot Dayton program offers help. Care A Lot, launched in the spring of 2011, works with the community to strenghten and connect existing efforts when possible.
Here are some resources if this is the volunteer program for you:
Thanks for considering this program and thanks for caring….a lot!
June 12, 2011 at 11:44 pm
Nan, I brought this up at our neighbor hood meeting and someone asked this question. What is the liability of going on to private property?
Two days later I got an email from a neighbor who took care of a lot last year, and this year the owner has threatened them with a law suit if the step foot on the property. It is an empty lot on June St. and is for sale.
Also I enrolled to care for a lot at the corner of Columbus and Fifth catty-corner from the SEPB office. However I told Connie Nissonger, it needs to be cut before I can do so. It is over two feet high and there is no way my mower would handle it.
The program is a nice idea, and we want to help, but we just found out about the program and there are a number of lots that are already out of control, so we can’t care for them until they get an initial cutting. There are two homes on S. Terry that are vacant and the grass is also too high for anyone to cut. Another on June by the railroad tracks is in the sam condition.
Any suggestions how to handle all of this.
Rosie Miller
HHNA President
937-546-2569
June 13, 2011 at 9:51 am
Thanks Rosie for asking these important questions. First, if there is an owner of a vacant lot who has expressly stated that he wants no one on the lot, then do not mow that lot. It would be helpful to report that lot to the Care a Lot program, either Kathleen Riggs or Ray Alexander, whose email addresses are on the Care a Lot page.
This situation you mention is incredibly uncommon.
Also, the city can help giving a lot the once run through so you can care for that lot throughout the season. Again, get in touch with either Kathleen or Ray and they can help you through that process.
Thanks so much for caring about your neighborhood and our city. Without folks like you, we would be nowhere!