Mowing mayhem: how should park and recreation departments handle mowing land that abuts development?

"We get tons of resident complaints this time of the year about parks, open space and basins being cut in a timely manner With limited resources, we have to mow these areas at our discretion, but we constantly get the resident calling that lives next to the open space and doesn't want visitors to their home thinking they live in the hicks." That was a recent posting from Warwick Township in Lancaster, Penn., on "eCommunities," NRPA's networking forum. For information on how to join the discussion, become a member of NRPA by clicking on the "Membership" link on the left-hand side of NRPA's Web site, www. nrpa.org. Here are a myriad of mowing responses:

"This sounds like Virginia Beach. We get the same complaints and have the same problems. Where there is no formal written policy on mowing, we have set specific mowing frequencies for various types of roads and facilities. This is partially tot budget justification and also for resource availability. Our schedules reflect the longest time we can go without mowing, without citizen complaints and with the most efficient use of our current manpower and equipment resources. Weather upsets the apple cart and causes us to get off schedule, requiring overtime for catch up and numerous responses to unhappy 'non-understanding' citizens. Our frequencies vary as I previously indicated. Neighborhood parks are cut on a 14-day schedule. Several are cut weekly because of athletic and other scheduled activities. Our district arm community parks are cut every 7-10 days. Some of these are contracted. Our building sites, inclusive of community centers, police and fire stations, libraries, etc., are cut on a 10-day cycle. School grounds are cut on a 12-day cycle, sewer pump stations (410) are cut on a 10-day cycle and storm water facilities on an 18-day frequency. Divided roadways are cut on an 18-day frequency and this includes maintenance of the landscape beds and hard surface weed areas. All divided roads (140 miles) are landscaped extensively. Rural roads are cut on a 30-day frequency with some areas cut more frequently because of traffic visibility issues."--Virginia Beach, Va.

"Keep in mind that this is coming front Texas and I'm guessing you might be in a more northern climate, but perhaps this information will help as a guideline. From March to December, we mow our community parks, neighborhood parks and athletic facilities once per week. We contract all our mowing except for our actual athletic fields, which we mow in house. Our green belts are mowed every other week, but our contractor is flexible with us in case we have lots of rain and unusual growth. Our total acreage mowed under contract is 720 acres. Most places I have worked set their mowing cycles based on the type of park (community vs. neighborhood, etc.). I have always found it effective that when a citizen complains about mowing or lack of, it helps to be able to explain the mowing cycle to them and when the next round is scheduled. I can see where discretionary mowing might be hard to sell to a citizen since it's based on opinion. The more you can you make it objective rather than subjective, the better."--Allen, Texas

"I have experienced this in a few communities. I never have made a full policy, but we start with the most visible sites and do them first. We set tap a rotation of mowing that we try to stick to. If we have problems or cannot meet the schedule at any point, we let the least visible go a little longer. When complaints are received, I try to explain what the issue is. If the complaint ever goes any further up the chain, I use that as ammo for more people or more efficient equipment to do the job."--Exeter, NH

"I have a printed schedule of what they mow when they mow it. I don't put it on the Web site or anything, but if we get a call from a 'concerned resident,' whoever answers the phone can at least say, 'Well that park is scheduled for mowing on Wednesdays this summer.' Regarding open space, etc., we cut in accordance with our Property Maintenance Code, which stipulates how high the grass can be before it must be cut (and that is only three feet back, not the whole field). Finally, in Chester County's Open Space Plan (Linking Landscapes), it specifically encourages not mowing open areas to promote the growth of warm season grasses. We quote that one a lot."--West Chester, Penn.

"We have the same issues here. I'd be interested in what others come up with. I'd hate to have a policy that you can't stick to. What if it rains and you are behind? But maybe you can have athletic fields mowed once or two times per week. Grass fields once per week, common areas one time per month; traffic areas once per season, etc. Depending on the weather and staffing."--Shrewsbury, Mass.