No person, persons, firms, or corporation shall erect, contrive, cause, continue, maintain, or permit to exist any public nuisances within the City of Mountlake Terrace. Prohibited public nuisances include, but are not limited to:
A. Vegetation.
1. Vegetation exceeding 12 inches in height (exclusive of plants and flowers within a flower bed or container, shrubbery, or trees) located in any front, back, or side yard, adjacent public right-of-way or planting strip, or any vacant property;
2. Overhanging limbs or branches that are less than eight feet above a public walkway or sidewalk, or less than 14 feet above a public street;
3. Vegetation that obstructs or hinders the use of any public walkway, sidewalk, or street, or that obstructs or obscures the view of traffic or traffic control devices;
4. Dead, decaying or diseased trees or branches that pose a threat of falling onto public property or public right-of-way;
5. Any growth of noxious weeds or any toxic vegetation that impedes or invades public property;
6. Woodpiles that are not properly stacked or accumulations of wood debris, such as branches, that could become a fire hazard or harbor rodents.
B. Buildings, Structures, Fences. Buildings, structures, fences or other constructed objects that are decayed, damaged, or in disrepair to the extent that they pose a threat of collapse, structural failure, or falling onto public property or public right-of-way.
C. Sidewalks.
1. Any protrusion, awning, or overhang that inhibits or obstructs use of a public walkway or sidewalk;
2. Any object, construction, or damage that inhibits or obstructs the surface use of a public walkway or sidewalk;
3. Snow or ice not removed from a public sidewalk within a reasonable time;
4. Accumulations of dirt or debris not removed from a public sidewalk.
D. Unauthorized Signs. All unauthorized signs, signals, markings or devices that are displayed to resemble an official traffic control device.
E. Building and Construction Materials. Accumulations, stacks, or piles of building or construction materials not associated with a current in-progress project including metal, wood, wire, electrical or plumbing materials in disarray or exposed to the elements on the property. Materials associated with projects that do not require permits must be cleared from unenclosed areas within 90 days unless an extension is granted by the Director of Community and Economic Development Department or their designee.
1. Fire Hazards. Stacks or accumulations of newspapers, cardboard, or other paper, clothes, or wood products left in a manner that could pose a substantial risk of combustion or the spread of fire;
2. Toxic or Caustic Substances. Improper storing or keeping of any toxic, flammable, or caustic substances or materials;
3. Smoke, Soot, or Odors. The escaping or emitting of any unnecessary or harmful smoke, soot, fumes, or gases or odors offensive or harmful to persons of ordinary sensibilities;
4. Insect or Vermin Attractions. Creating or maintaining accumulations of matter, including foodstuffs, that harbor or are an attraction for the infestation of insects or vermin or failing to eliminate such infestations.
F. Bodies of Water.
1. Except for City-approved structures connected to storm drainage systems, all stagnant, pooled water in which mosquitoes, flies or other insects may multiply;
2. The polluting of any waterway, wells, or body of water.
G. Garbage, Recyclables, and Compost. In addition to the regulations in Chapter
13.10 MTMC:
1. Garbage not kept in a proper receptacle with a tight-fitting lid;
2. Recyclables not properly stored and regularly disposed of;
3. Compost not kept in a manner to prevent it from attracting infestations of insects or emitting foul odors.
H. Furniture and Appliances.
1. All broken or discarded household furniture, furnishings or equipment, or any appliances not in an approved enclosed structure, in the front, side, or back yard of a property;
2. All accessible refrigeration appliances not having the doors secured or removed, or any enclosure that can entrap humans or animals.
I. Debris and Trash. Accumulations of broken or neglected items, litter, salvage materials, and junk not in an approved enclosed structure, in the front, back, or side yards of the property.
J. Holes, Pits, and Excavations. All uncovered holes, pits, or excavations not marked or guarded.
K. Machinery and Equipment. Broken, inoperable accumulations of, or parts of, machinery or equipment not in an approved enclosed structure, in the front, back, or side yards of the property.
L. Attractive Nuisances. Any accessible attractive nuisance to children including, but not limited to, unattended machinery or equipment, unsecured abandoned or vacant buildings, open and unattended vehicle trunks, or other unguarded conditions or situations that could injure or trap a child.
M. Obstructions Within Sight Area Triangles. Any violation set forth in MTMC §
19.120.290.
N. Backyard Camping and Tents. A camping tent may only be occupied by individuals for recreational purposes in a residential zone with the permission of the lawful occupant of the property. Occupants of the tent must have access to a bathroom and cooking facility in the primary structure. Occupancy must not create a public health hazard or nuisance. The tent may not remain standing for more than two weeks within any six-month period. Only one assembled tent is allowed on the property at any time and is limited to the backyard.
(Ord. 2292 § 1, 2001; Ord. 2389 § 1, 2005; Ord. 2415 § 3, 2006; Ord. 2728 § 1, 2018; Ord. 2876 § 2, 2025)