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A Town
Growing Together
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Ashton, Iowa
Est. 1882
Building & Property Regulations
Dangerous Buildings - All buildings or structures which are structurally unsafe or do not provid adequate egress, or which constitute a fire hazzerd, or are otherwise dangerous to human life are considered dangerous. If a building is found to be dangerous by law enforcement, they will send notice to the property owner and post warning signs around the property and no one will be allowed to enter the building until written permission is given. In the case where the owner fails, neglects, or refuses to comply with the notice to repair, rehabilitate or to demolish and remove the building or structure, the council may order the owner of the building prosecuted as a violator and may order the enforcement office to proceed with the work specified in the notice. All costs incurred will be charged to the owner of the premises
Trees - No tree shall be planted in any parking or street except when aligned in the parking midway between the outer line of the sidewalk and the curb. In the event the curb line is not established tress shall be planted on a line ten feet from the property line. Trees shall not be planted on any parking which is less than nine feet in width or contains less than eighty-one square feet of exposed soil surface per tree. Trees shall not be planted closer than twenty feet from street intersections and ten feet from driveways. No person shall plant any fruit bearing trees or any tree of the kinds commonly known as cottonwood, poplar, box elder, Chinese elm, evergreen, willow or black walnut. It is the responsibility of the property owner to keep the trees trimmed so that all branches will be at least fifteen feet above the surface of the street and eight feet above the sidewalks. If the owner fails to keep the trees trimmed the City may serve a notice for action and if action is not taken in a timely manor the City may perform the required action and assessed costs will be transferred to the owner. Any dead, diseased or damaged tree or shrub which may harbor serious insect of disease pests is considered a nuisance.
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Fencing - A building permit must be attained before a new fence may be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, converted or demolished. Fences are allowed on the property line, provided the property owner has thorough knowledge of the location of the property line. No fence or hedge permitted shall be built to a height of more than two feet above the established curb grade on the part of the lot within a vision clearance zone. The attractive/finished side of a fence shall be constructed so as to face toward an adjoining property owner and street frontage. Fences shall be erected and maintained so as to avoid limiting or obstructing the flow of water in natural drainage courses. Any residential fence should have a maximum height of 72 inches, this height does not apply to supports, posts or attached ornaments. The maximum height for any fence outside of a required front yard shall be six feet and a maximum height for a fence in a front yard shall be four feet. All residential fences in front yards shall be a minimum of two feet behind adjacent sidewalks. No barbed wire, razor wire, electric fence; snow fence, cast off, secondhand used or re-purposed or recycled materials are allowed. Any materials that are not specially designed, manufactured, intended and offered for sale solely for us as fencing i.e plywood, particle board, paper cardboard, visqueen plastic, plastic tarp, pallets, garage and other doors, house siding, sheet metal, metal roofing, roll metal, corrugated metal and other dangerous materials are not allowed. Please click here to download a building permit.