The Board has identified several areas of concern they feel are in need of focused education and enforcement in order to preserve and protect the standard of living Crescent City residents have come to enjoy. These areas include:

 Signs: The City’s existing Sign Ordinance (Section 3 of the Code of Ordinances) allows up to 250 square feet area total of signage for commercial sites, additional signage area is afforded to shopping centers provided they were permitted as shopping centers. All advertising signs in excess of six (6) square feet require a permit, which can be obtained at our City Hall. All advertising signage visible from the street counts toward the 250 square feet maximum. Below is a link to a PDF document about signs in Crescent City.

Trash: The City’ existing Garbage and Refuse Ordinance (Section 9 of the Code of Ordinances) requires every residence and commercial establishment to place their trash in suitable containers for collection by the City’s franchise waste hauler. It is important that each and every residence and commercial establishment comply with the trash receptacle requirements to avoid trash being spread through out the City. The waste hauler is not responsible for and will not collect trash that has been strewn from a collection point due to animals or wind.  Wet garbage must be placed in plastic or metal containers with lids. You may contact City Hall Customer Service at 698-2525 or the City’s waste hauler, Waste Pro at (386) 328-5445 for further information regarding refuse. 

Junked or Abandoned Vehicles: Section 9-50 of the City’s Code of Ordinances prohibits the storage of junked or discarded motor vehicles within the City limits. Junked or abandoned motor vehicles are defined as those without a current license plate and registration and / or are inoperable. Failure to comply with this Code requirement can result in the vehicles being removed by the City at the property owner’s expense in accordance with Section 9-52 of the Code of Ordinances. This Code does not prohibit the lawful storage and restoration of vehicles provided the vehicles are stored in an enclosed building in accordance with Article VII of the City’s Zoning Regulations. 

Duty to Keep Lots Clean: Section 10-20 of the City’s Code of Ordinances requires that every lot owner within Crescent City keep their lot free and clear of weeds, grass, garbage waste and trash as often as may be reasonably necessary.  Section 10-23 of the Code provides that no owner of property may store rubbish, old cans, automobile parts, or other materials that may be blown around during time of windstorm so as to endanger the lives of adjacent property owners. These Code Sections are intended to provide reasonable minimum standards for the care and maintenance of properties in Crescent City. While each lot owner may feel it is his or her right to keep their property in a certain condition, their actions have a direct affect on the property values and potential safety of adjacent property owners. Should you have questions regarding lot maintenance standards, please contact Robert Chayer Code Enforcement Officer at (386) 698-2525. 

Grass Clippings in Streets: Section 9-3 of the Code of Ordinances prohibits the placement of “garden trash” (leaves and clippings) on any street, alley, sidewalk or public right of way. While this may be a minor concern to some, the impact of blowing grass clippings into the streets is much larger than one might expect.  Because Crescent City is a very old City, a majority of the City’s storm water drainage system discharges directly to Lake Crescent and / or Lake Stella. When the streets and curbs are laden with grass clippings and leaves, these can be transmitted via storm water run off to our lakes. These pollutants, though less threatening than oils and pesticides, are nonetheless a problem. The decomposition of these materials by microorganisms in the water results in what is known BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand). If there is a sufficient amount of grass and leaves, the BOD can rise to such a level where the health of fish and other aquatic vertebrates is threatened.  Your assistance with the proper disposal of leaves and grass clippings is not only appreciated by your fellow citizens, but the aquatic wildlife of our lakes and streams are much obliged as well. 

Education and Enforcement: As the City has developed over the last 100 plus years; many have come to enjoy the small town, informal way business has been conducted including enforcement of City Codes and Standards. Code Enforcement hopes to build on that familiarity and preserve the personal element of government while ensuring the City Codes and Standards adopted by its citizens are adhered to. Code Enforcement realizes that some of our Citizens may be new and /or not familiar with Crescent City Code requirements. This is why we try to work with every citizen and landowner to come into compliance with Code requirements prior to proceeding to a formal Notice of Violation and Code Enforcement Board hearing.  

The Code Enforcement process is generally as follows: After a verified complaint or violation is observed, a personal visit or phone call from our Code Enforcement Officer is the first course of action.  Followed by a letter advising the violator of their need to comply and a follow up visit. If these efforts fail, a formal Notice of Violation is filed and a case is created for the Code Enforcement Board. Failure to comply may result in the levying of fines by the Code Enforcement Board, which are recorded as a lien against the property. If left unaddressed, the violation / lien can result in foreclosure on the property. Every reasonable effort is made to work with the landowner so as to avoid having to levy fines. 

As we move forward into Crescent City’s future we hope to make a quarterly newsletter available to our citizens, which will include helpful information concerning Code requirements among other City news and facts. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our Code Enforcement Officer-Robert Chayer at 689-2525 or via email at codes@crescentcity-fl.com.