Elm Grove and Lawn Ornaments

Usually, you hear about people wanting to keep government out of their bedrooms.

In Elm Grove, government is creeping into their yards.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Just weeks after approving a new law that restricts the size of backyard playhouses, Elm Grove officials are considering cracking down on lawn ornaments.

Village officials are reviewing a proposal that would limit the height of lawn ornaments - as well as artwork and light posts - on residents' lawns.

The Village Board last month passed an ordinance that limits the height of backyard children's play structures to 20 feet.

20 FEET???

That's an enormous height for a play structure. Are there actually residents building backyard playhouses higher than 20 feet?

That's not a playhouse. That's taller than the average height of a one story house.

When it comes to playground equipment, "fall heights" much lower than 20 feet are recommended.

The Consumer Federation of America stipulates that the fall height of climbing equipment and slides shall not exceed a maximum of six feet for school-age children, and a maximum of four feet for preschool-age children (CFA, 1996a). They recommend that swing heights (height of the crossbeam) be limited to eight feet (CFA, 1996b). The American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics standards (1992)stipulate that the maximum height of playground equipment shall be no greater than 5.5 feet for children up to the age of six, and no higher than three feet for children up to three. The Playground Safety Audit Form published by the National Recreation and Park Association recommends that slides should be no more than eight feet high, that accessible equipment height (platforms, decks, etc.) should not exceed four feet for two to five-year-old users, and that protective surfacing should pass the 200 G ASTM 1292 test.

Was an ordinance really necessary? Were people putting up such enormous structures that it was becoming a nuisance and a danger?

Apparently, parents in Elm Grove are out of control when it comes to giving their kids really big stuff.

Play structures aren't the only problem. Large and excessive lawn ornaments are a concern, too.

An amendment to deal with this lawn ornament scourge threatening the quality of life in Elm Grove has been put on hold.

From ElmGroveNOW:

A proposed ordinance amendment regulating lawn ornaments will wait for resident input.

The Legislative Committee voted to table discussion on the amendment, which would limit the height of artwork, light posts and lawn ornaments to 30 percent of the house height - measured from the street yard to the peak - with a footprint no greater than 50 square feet.

I didn't know they made pink flamingos larger than 7 feet long and 7 feet wide and higher than 30 percent of a house's height.

Trustee Jan Schoenecker, who does not sit on the Legislative Committee, had initiated the proposed amendment, arguing that the village should have some control over the potential placement of excessive lawn ornaments. In response to her concern, village staff drafted a preliminary proposal, Village Manager David De Angelis said.

What is Schoenecker's problem? It seems she may have some sort of lawn ornament phobia.

In reviewing the proposal, committee members and one attending resident questioned whether or not a trend of excessive lawn ornaments is a problem, and if so, if the village would be breaking ground in establishing regulations.

"Do we have a problem in the village?" asked resident James Nortman, who is about to install a lawn clock. "If we don't we should spend our time doing something else."

Exactly. This seems like a royal waste of time.

Aren't there more pressing issues in Elm Grove than the size of garden gnomes?