Businesses in Missouri City, Texas planting shrubbery to screen their parking lots could run afoul of a new Missouri City ordinance regulating minimum and maximum shrubbery heights. The new ordinance also creates a new class of criminal in Missouri City and imposes a fine of up to $500 per day.
From MissouriCityTx.gov (emphasis mine):
SECTION 11. LANDSCAPING
11.2. Requirements for plants used for landscaping.
When plants are used for landscaping under this section, the following requirements shall apply:
1. Height at maturity. As they grow, plants shall have an expected height according to type and species, and at each age, shall be maintained at expected heights. Plants shall be trimmed and maintained at natural shapes. At maturity, the following heights shall apply unless otherwise provided for in this section:
| Plant Height | |
| Canopy trees | In excess of or equal to 30 feet |
| Understory trees | Under 30 feet |
| Shrubs | Minimum of 36 inches (When used for required screening) |
| Maximum of 60 inches (When used for required screening) |
Got that? Make sure your bush is trimmed and maintained in a natural shape or you will be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
Section 9. Penalty. Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, or organization of any kind who or which violates any provision of this zoning ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in an amount not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). Each day during which said violation shall exist or occur shall constitute a separate offense.
Comrade Jerry Wyatt and Premier Allen Owen asked Gary Smith, Director of Developmental Services if the ordinance would be applied retroactively to some older commercial businesses to NAIL them:
Comrade Wyatt: ..gonna start looking at these things retroactively…I assume you’re gonna do that?…how will this help us with some of the older commercials that’s already in place?
Director Smith: Through enforcement is the main way…we did not look at a retroactive landscaping provision.
Premier Owen: We have guys, we have pieces that we approved landscaping on that have not lived up to what they were approved at and we DO need to nail them.
Director Smith: We do.
Where in Missouri “Nanny” City can we find approved shrubbery??
Ok all of you overweight porkers and anorexics, the PC trolls will cite you for not filling out your skeleton yawll buffet brawlers, best skip a plate or a meal in it’s entirety.
Sounds like a whiney liberal to me…laws exist for a reason…just because obama can ignore them doesn’t mean we can.
Don’t you folks out there have access to tar and feathers?
1. What am I to think of a Republican party that continues to elect such meddlesome uber-nannys who insist on micro-managing everybody’s affairs? I thought Republicans were the party of smaller, less intrusive government, unlike these two or three jack-a$$es.
2. Why do you folks in Ft Bend and local governments continue to put these guys in office?
3. Is there a rational human anywhere that can actually interpret Foolish Memo’s comment above and translate it into meaningful English?
I expect TPTB in MO City will enforce their edicts with threat of force up to and including lethal force. You citizens will bend nature’s creations to the sizes appointed or pay dearly. If I held property in MO City I believe I would sculpt a topiary in the form of a human showing its ass to these tyrants.
As a Texas Certified Nursery Professional, I think this is ridiculous. Is City Council going to go out and measure the plants? Better, still WHO is going to interview the bushes?
The ordinance as it stands will require bush and shrub interview experts. That is the only way to ensure that the bush only grows to its expected height. What if it gets too fat? AHH,OHH? That could be discriminating.
You folks are kidding, right?
Nancy Schnell
Alderwoman
Shoreacres, TX
That headline sounds awfully personal, sexist and below-the-belt to me.