Poway officials mull fire buffer proposal

By: DARRYN BENNETT - Staff Writer | Sunday, March 9, 2008 10:52 PM PDT ∞

POWAY ---- In the wake of October's Witch Creek wildfire, which destroyed 90 homes, Poway officials are considering a proposal that would require property owners to create a 100-foot fire buffer of "defensible space" around their land.

City Fire Marshall Kevin Kitch told nearly 100 residents who gathered last week for a City Council workshop on the proposed ordinance that a fire buffer would help protect lives and property.

Kitch said during the three-hour meeting that a wholesale clearing of chaparral was not necessary and wouldn't prevent regional wildfires, but that "thoughtful" landscaping could reduce damage from future fires.

"Fire will happen with or without (chaparral)," he said, adding that more than 144 structures in Poway have burned in the last decade in wildfires.

In October, many of the 90 Poway homes destroyed in the fire were surrounded on at least two sides by chaparral, despite the city's efforts since the 1990s to persuade homeowners to thin flammable vegetation around properties, Kitch said.

The current proposal would mandate that owners thin certain species of chaparral that are oily and burn quickly ---- chamise, coastal scrub oak and sumac ---- to 8 inches or less and maintain them at that height year-round. Dead, dying and diseased trees would also have to be removed.

If a property's 100-foot buffer spills onto another lot, the owner of the neighboring property would be required to trim that area under the city's proposed ordinance.

"This does not mean the removal of all vegetation. I want to be clear about that," Kitch said in response to some concerns that all aesthetic landscaping was being targeted by the ordinance, called the Vegetation Management Program.

Kitch said he did not know how many Poway homes would be affected by the ordinance.

Residents and council members said the city should be very clear about which plants are included in the ordinance and that the policy should strike a balance between preserving wildlife habitat and creating the buffer.

"I have concerns about birds nesting in trees," Councilwoman Betty Rexford said. "Everything in moderation. I don't want the city to be too overzealous or go on a witch hunt."

Poway resident Gerold Firl said the program seemed too rigid.

"Somebody should not be telling me what to do with my plants," he said. "I do not like the idea of a plant cop."

Councilman Bob Emery assured residents that officials recognize the need to protect private property rights.

"This is a work in progress... to create a rational, non-invasive program to protect all of us from fire," he said.

City officials said they're still tweaking plans for enforcing an ordinance, but that homeowners would have "ample" time to comply with the ordinance and that fines would probably be levied against owners who don't maintain the buffer.

"It's a complex problem," Kitch said. "One shoe is not going to fit all. We'll have to work with homeowners on a case-by-case basis."

The city would be responsible for creating a buffer on 24 acres of public properties, a project that could cost as much as $270,000. Another $60,000 would be earmarked for two part-time positions for the first year the program was in place.

Also, a code compliance officer to oversee the program would be hired at an annual cost of between $50,000 and $61,000, and ongoing maintenance costs would be about $48,000 each year, officials said.

Officials said the costs to initiate the proposal would be paid for with a one-time use of city reserve funds and ongoing costs would be budgeted into the general fund.

"This plan is the most cost-effective, efficient and doable," Kitch said. "We are not going to beat the fire. We are going to have to learn to live with it."

Council members said they expected to hold more public workshops and hearings before voting on an ordinance at a future meeting.

Contact staff writer Darryn Bennett at (760) 740-5420 or dmbennett@nctimes.com.

Poway's proposed Vegetation Management Program would require property owners to do the following:

Thin all flammable native chaparral species and remove dead, dying or diseased trees and shrubs within 100 feet of habitable structures;

remove dead wood from trees that are near or overhang a building;

trim trees over 18 feet tall and within 100 feet of a structure and 10 feet from chimney outlets;

remove debris and green waste more than 6 inches in depth fom under trees;

keep roofs free of leaves, needles and all dead vegetation;

remove garbage, cuttings and all combustible waste from property, driveways and roadways.