The city of Raleigh and the town of Cary have recently adopted ordinances to ban the use of pine straw. Although both restrictions are similar they do differ in one or two areas.
The City of Raleigh effective December 1, 2010 will ban pine straw around all buildings other than single family homes and duplex's.
The Town of Cary effective May 13, 2010 has amended Chapter 16 of the Code of Ordinances adding a new Sec.16-3 as follows:
Sec 16-3 Combustible Landscaping Material Prohibited
No pine straw or any other landscape cover material with a fire rate of spread more than 24 inches per minute shall be placed, kept, or stored within 10 feet of buildings with combustible exterior construction including, but no limited to, vinyl, aluminum, masonite, or wood siding.
(a)Exception: Detached single family residential structures not utilized as an “R-4 Home Daycare” or “R-4 Residential Care Home” as defined in the North Carolina Building Code.
(b)Civil Penalties: Violations not abated within (7) days of a written notice shall constitute a $250.00 per day fine.
Tips for Dealing with the Pine Straw Bans
As a result of the new pine straw bans many property management groups, HOAs, apartment complexes, and commercial property owners are faced with a few challenges.
In Cary the ban has already gone into effect. Owners and managers have to remove pine straw immediately, thus incurring a cost. The labor, equipment, and travel time are compounded with the potential of a disposal fee at the local landfill - all told the cost for removal alone could be quite significant.
Once the pine straw is removed, the bed area needs to be replenished with some form of landscape ground cover for plant health, moisture retention, erosion control, and visual appearance. Exposed beds are often void of needed organic matter and are poor at retaining needed moisture against the harsh summer sun. Barren soil is also prone to erosion which could leave unsightly mud over sidewalks and in parking lots. Silt can buildup in drains and sewer systems or continue downstream to pollute our natural streams and rivers.
Aesthetics alone dictate the need to replace the straw. Many businesses and multi-family complexes rely on beautiful landscape beds to attract homeowners and tenants; even in our current recession, poor curb appeal rarely gives a potential client a favorable opinion of a company or facility.
One problem for property management companies and HOAs alike is that often money budgeted for landscaping is predetermined prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. Pine straw applications are done once or twice a year depending on the budget and facility needs. Often the applications are done by the maintenance crews or contractors in the late winter to early spring, meaning that the money budgeted for those applications was spent prior to the bans going into effect. Having to comply with the ordinances immediately or by December 1st means that there will be additional funds needed to cover the cost. In this economy it is hard for owners or HOAs to open up their wallet and pony up more money.
Below are a few tips for dealing with the Raleigh and Cary pine straw bans:
To save on some of disposal cost of straw, consider relocating the pine straw into another area away from the building such as a natural area or exterior bed. This approach saves hauling and disposal fees, and considering that much of the straw may not be that old, can serve to refresh certain other areas of your landscape.
Mulch is the cheapest alternative to pine straw. There are a wide range of mulches available and each provides its own qualities. For this article, we will look the most common and economically feasible.
Economy Mulch: Wood chips or ground land clearing debris. This product is not as visually appealing as other mulches as it tends not to hold its natural color very long and will break down more slowly than others. It will help with moisture retention and erosion control.
Natural Bark Mulch: Typically hardwood or pine bark. This product is mostly pure bark and is great for organic value and visual appeal. The hardwood is a little better for erosion control as it binds together with its fibrous consistency. Pine bark will hold its natural color a little longer and breakdown a little slower. These mulches need to be replenished yearly for visual appearance and mulch depths due to decomposition.
Designer/colored Mulches: Brown, Black, or Red. These products are dyed with an EPA approved colorant for lasting visual appeal. This recycled pallet product should last almost two years before replenishment. This mulch is good for erosion control, and visual appearance while providing a slow organic breakdown. Other colored mulches are available and could be made of wood chips, hardwood, or land clearing material. The moisture content in these latter materials doesn’t allow for deep absorption of dye as compared to the dry pallets, but they still provide a longer color window. Colored mulches cost slightly more up front, but can be significantly cheaper when the materials and labor costs are divided over the life of the product.
***A final alternative would be river rock or brick chips. This product is great for erosion control and visual appearance but has little to no organic value. Initial cost is extremely high but very little maintenance and replenishment is required for years to come.
(Thank you to Atlantic Mulch & Erosion Control, Inc. for this info)