Brown signs bill reversing bans on clotheslines

[Gormy Cuss]

Another blow to restrictive HOAs and NIMBY towns...

California is now a “right to dry” state after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Thursday restricting homeowners associations from banning clotheslines, which the groups deemed unsightly additions to neighborhoods.

Assemblywoman Patty López (D-San Fernando) announced Brown signed her bill, AB 1448, which will allow line drying for people once restricted by their property management organizations.

"Growing up, my family and many of my neighbors used clotheslines as the way to dry their clothes and other laundry,” López said in a statement. “Californians can now do their part for the environment while saving money on their electric bill by using the sunlight to dry their laundry.”

The bill, titled “Personal energy conservation; real property restrictions” is meant to serve as a victory to conservationists and frugal Californians alike by allowing them to save money and energy.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Brown-signs-bill-reversing-bans-on-clotheslines-6560304.php

[Hortensis]

1. A "right to dry" state. :) As a freedom-loving liberal, I'm not sure

I approve of government's restricting the restrictions HOA residents choose to live with. Yes, I'm just being sarcastic, but only because they do have a real emergency there. Perhaps Governor Brown should shoot down lists of HOA-approved shrubs so residents can go more xeric also.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Brown instituted mandatory statewide water use reductions

and it's not the shrubs that should be shot, it's the lawns.

eta:BTW, Brown tackled HOA mandates on lawns last year.

[Hortensis]

4. Municipalities usually dictate lawns. HOAs do too, of course, but lists

of approved shrubs are the kind of fascist conformity some HOA dwellers love to wrap themselves in, not municipalities.

Since we're double-threading this needle, though, Gormy, let's also agree that restrictions on trees and tree size should be set aside so people can block sun rays before they turn their sealed stucco houses into ovens that then have to be refrigerated to livable temperatures.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. The state mandated restrictions on lawn watering for everyone

Last edited Sat Oct 10, 2015, 10:25 AM - Edit history (1)

but here the issue of fining homeowners for brown lawns or no lawns is more associated with HOAs than municipalities.

As for trees and keeping houses cool, encouraging shade in interior CA is a good thing as are houses designed to shed heat rather than absorb it. I live in a hot valley but my "old" house has very deep soffits which act as shade and a well vented attic which also sloughs off heat. The weather norm here even in the summer is for the outside temperature to drop quickly as soon as the sun sets --20-30 degree drops overnight are common. Humidity is low. It takes 3 consecutive 90+ degree days for the interior temperature to rise to an uncomfortable level. That's with less than 10% shade from trees.

Trees as shade here are a mixed blessing. The wrong varieties (eucalyptus for one) pose other hazards (fire, limb drops, shallow roots) that may outweigh the shade benefits.

[Hortensis]

14. I was born and raised in California, Gormy, and miss the cool

mornings and evenings a great deal. I used to plant for evening fragrance. Your house sounds like an extremely well built one. As you know, though, almost all houses in California were built after and very differently from yours and require air conditioning to be livable in summer. A grave problem that is exacerbated by a widespread preference for avoiding planting large trees since the advent of air conditioning.

I know people don't like to rake leaves. Boy, do I know. Over the years, we cringed as many fine, mature trees in our neighborhoods were cut down by new owners. It was a normal hazard of a house changing hands -- will they allow the tree(s) to live? Even fines didn't protect all live oaks. Our friends had one of three properties that lost the beauty and shade of a mature live oak when a new purchaser cut it down illegally; our town's famous $50K fine didn't save it.

Society really needs to grow up, suck it up, and face the rake stoically. By far the most responsible way to deal with heat accumulation is to block radiation before it hits the house. So far there is nothing that fits the bill half so effectively as good, well chosen deciduous trees that obligingly shed their leaves for winter. Leaves raked under shrubs make great mulch too, no need to go buy bags of stuff dyed orange or black.

Of course, fire's a different issue. In fire years, my sister in the Sierras east of Sacramento had to keep her entire grounds, covered in tall pines, carefully cleared of all burnable material to a height of 15 feet, or perhaps more. I've forgotten. It was a major reason she finally regretfully sold it, the starving deer another.

[Gormy Cuss]

16. I don't think the problem with newer houses is the design as much as the tenants.

People can't be bothered to do what it takes to keep houses cool (e.g. having efficient windows and window coverings) because it's easier to just flip a switch. Same deal with things like raking leaves. I am encouraged that most municipalities have exceeded their water use reduction goals, though -- people seem very aware that behaviors need to change when it comes to water. I wish that similar incentives were in place for electrical use.

[Hortensis]

17. That's nice to hear about exceeding reduction goals. Our friends back

there seem to be just starting to face the reality of relandscaping. It'd be fun for me because I'm a hobby gardener and also (I still love green) love beautifully done xeric/Mediterranean-climate landscaping anyway, but it's just a big, expensive headache on top of losing a look that's always meant home for them.

[REP]

34. My house was built in 1927

I did redo the insulation and installed a radiant hydro-solar heating and cooling system, because where I live in the mountains, it's not unusual to get a week or more of 95+ temperatures, and the house just won't cool off after a few days of that. PGE cut back the trees shading part of the house this year, which sure didn't help any.

When we were looking for a house, heat and cool conserving properties were one reason I wanted an older house (besides newer construction pretty much being crap).

[JDPriestly]

19. We, too, have shade trees in a zone 10 are -- instead of air conditioning.

We do use a fan and open certain windows at night. We keep cool.

In the desert, it cools down at night because there isn't enough moisture in the air above us to keep the heat in.

It is cool in our desert at night.

[kcr]

30. Why should HOAs get special protection from laws?

Property owners in general aren't exempt from laws and restrictions. HOAs are no different.

[KamaAina]

3. So the Niners defense will be able to take out opposing receivers

at home games?

[dembotoz]

5. wow i am happy my packers already beat them

[dembotoz]

6. this is a good idea

[sufrommich]

7. Good for Gov. Brown. What a ridiculous rule.nt

[tabasco]

8. Smart move!

Saves a lot of energy. Screw the people who think it's unsightly. Clothes waving in the breeze make a house look like a home.

[hobbit709]

9. HOAs can go suck eggs.

Haven't heard of one yet that wasn't run by a bunch of petty tyrants.

[underpants]

26. Yep

They suck

[fadedrose]

11. I love Jerry Brown nt

[TygrBright]

12. I dunno, this is pretty risky... might come back to bite him...

Those things are *dangerous,* yanno...! Suppose some would-be mass killer steals a clothesline just hanging out there in the open, and uses it to garrote a dozen or so unsuspecting innocent community college students...

"When clotheslines are outlawed, only outlaws have clotheslines," after all...

ironically,
Bright

(Incidentally, clotheslines DO help on reducing ironing. Though not irony.)

[PatSeg]

18. He's turning California into a

lawless state!!!

[Hortensis]

20. Next thing they'll be allowing chickens? :)

[PatSeg]

21. God forbid

Maybe even goats and sheep to mow the lawns!

[Hortensis]

23. An old guy near us finally stopped keeping goats, and we miss them.

What a bunch of noisy, spoiled babies, always eager for attention (and a handful of anything you brought). If we didn't move south in winter, we'd have goats and chickens, but hauling the cats back and forth is plenty.

[PatSeg]

25. They are so entertaining

and they certainly serve a purpose. I keep telling my son he should get goats or sheep to take care of his huge lawn!

[Hortensis]

27. I'd be walking them down and staking them at the edge of the woods

to keep the kudzu at bay. They'd probably get full from people walking by feeding them, though. I'm sure others miss 'em too.

[PatSeg]

28. Probably!

You know, while they are munching, they can also fertilize grass and plants!

[Hortensis]

29. Yes, and if we took them to Florida they could feed the alligators.

There's just no end to their usefulness. Oh, that would be an end wouldn't it?

We'll have to wait until we're too old for DH to go fish all winter, then maybe something new... It wouldn't be the first hobby I've tried to push on him, but this one I know would take.

[PatSeg]

32. Ha, ha,

yes, I think that would an END! Think we should skip the alligators! We could always make goat's cheese though.

[Hortensis]

33. Yes, I'm enjoying the image of him as the old guy followed

around by his babies. Have a nice evening.

[PatSeg]

39. Thanks

Same to you.

[REP]

35. Chickens already legal!

[Hortensis]

37. How cute! If we end up with goats, for sure I'll have chickens.

[PatSeg]

40. Hah!!!

Milk AND eggs!!!

[Gormy Cuss]

43. My neighbor has chickens.

Our zoning and CCRs allow chickens and goats. If the neighbor didn't have some I'd probably build a coop of my own.

[REP]

44. Practically the first thing we did after getting the house

Was adopt chickens. The big Buff Orpington is a hen but she crows, which was driving our friends' neighbors nuts. (The other hen disappeared one day - we hope she just moved to Europe.) At first, my husband thought they would be nice to have because of the eggs, but they quickly became beloved companions. As soon as we have better fencing, I'm sure we'll have even more feathery little weirdos.

[Gormy Cuss]

45. Hens crowing -- that was news to me until I lived here.

My neighbor is an old farm boy and he said they do that to fool predators. Our CCRs prohibit roosters but every coop in the neighborhood has a poser hen.

I want a couple of goats. We have plenty of weeds for them to eat.

[ThoughtCriminal]

42. Well, it's still a 15 yard penalty in football

[B Calm]

13. Nothing smells better than bed sheets that were hung outside to dry.

[nadine_mn]

36. 100% agree - like to dig out some dried in the summer in the middle of winter

Here in Minnesota that fresh smell in January sure helps the winter blahs.

[4lbs]

15. HOAs are idiotic. I am glad I live in a neighborhood where we can choose how our homes look.

Some houses have fences in their yards, some don't.

Some houses have trees in their front yards, some don't.

Some houses have clotheslines in their backyards, some don't.

Some houses have stucco, some don't and are painted.

Some houses have fences separating them, others have walls.

Every home is of a different color.


No one in the neighborhood had to consult some HOA, because it doesn't exist. If anyone tried to establish one, they'd be laughed out of the neighborhood.

[nadine_mn]

38. Our whole fricking suburb has turned into

a damn nightmare. We moved out here out of desperation - we needed to find a place to rent that allowed large dogs in 30 days, so we couldn't really be picky.

It used to be great - lots of grassy open areas, people had I guess what you call mini-ranches - with horses and rode them in the neighborhoods.

Then the damn urban sprawl came - everything became cookie cutter subdivisions. The gorgeous wooded area behind our house became a McMansion cul-de-sac. All the great grassy areas, mini-farms and ranches disappeared. And now there are stupid restrictions on everything from where we can put out garbage can (not in front of the house, must be in back or in the garage or in a specially built fenced area), where you can park your car, how much lawn furniture you can have outside..it is ridiculous

Our neighbors called the cops on us all the time: didn't like that our car was parked on the grassy part of our driveway, complained our old car was a junker (it ran, it was just old) and we had to go to court and pay a fine (claimed that we had expired tags, we had photo evidence and proof they weren't but the prosecutor didn't care), whenever we legally have a little bonfire outside in a fire pit, the cops end up doing a slow drive by...etc etc.

Pretty sure we can't have clotheslines either... I want to move but our rent is cheap and moving sucks.

[PatSeg]

41. How depressing

I can't imagine how people can live like that, being so petty about inconsequential things.

[Hortensis]

22. Both our kids live in pretty HOA subdivisions, but

pretty conformity has never been our own choice. Generally speaking, a lot more is conforming than just landscaping, and we're not HOA-shape people.

[lpbk2713]

24. I always dry my towels and bed linens out in the sun.

Whenever weather permits.

I like the smell.

[Fairgo]

31. Wow, I am gobsmacked

No chickens in the city limits. No gardens in the front yard. No laundry with your naught bits hanging on the line. No loitering on the sidewalk, or gathering in groups larger than 3. Where am I? I seemed to have gotten lost somewhere around 1972 outside of Peoria, Illinois. If you see me, please send me home.