Outdoor storage of inappropriate items can be cited

MELISSA (November 15, 2021) There is, of course, nothing unusual about driving by a home and seeing wooden Adirondack chairs in the front porch or a bar-b-cue grill on the back patio. These and other items specifically intended for outdoor use are common and serve as either décor or are otherwise functional.

Conversely, seeing a leather couch on the front porch or spotting a chest of drawers on the back patio are not only out of the ordinary, these items, and others specifically designed for indoor use, can be the basis for a citation from the City’s Code Compliance Office. 

Specifically, the City of Melissa Code of Ordinances outlines these prohibitions in Chapter 7, Article 7.803, stating, in part, that “furniture, including but not limited to couches, chairs, shelves, tables, dressers or other similar items, designed or intended by the manufacturer for indoor use” cannot be located outdoors within view of any public roadway, alley or adjacent property. 

Similarly, the ordinance addresses the improper placement of appliances intended for indoor use in a conspicuous outdoor location as well. Specifically, there is a prohibition on keeping or maintaining “any household appliance, including but not limited to refrigerators, freezers, ovens, ranges, dishwashers, clothes washing machines or dryers, or other household or similar appliances primarily designed or intended for indoor use” within view of a street, alley, or adjacent property. 

This includes any appliance that is inoperable or otherwise not in use. 

Notably, the ordinance also includes the storage of building or construction materials in view of streets, alleys, or adjacent property. The ordinance spells out the specific prohibitions of any “scrap wood or lumber; scrap metal; rags; rubber tires; plastic, metal, ceramic or glass bottles, canisters, barrels or cans; combustible materials; discarded or unused flooring material; dismantled or disassembled vehicle parts; or any accumulations of unsanitary or unsightly matter of whatever nature.”

Of course, any construction or building materials that are being used for an active construction or remodeling site, as long as a valid permit is in place, can be stored outdoors while the work is proceeding.

“Our goal, of course, is to ensure that our neighborhoods are free of any unsightly and dangerous outdoor storage,” says Code Compliance Officer Robert Cranfill. “Melissa residents take great pride in their homes and the outdoor storage ordinance is designed to maintain clean exteriors with furnishings appropriate for outdoor use.”

Questions can be directed to Cranfill at rcranfill@cityofmelissa.com or by calling 972-838-1089.