The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Spurred by resident complaints at the June 13 meeting, the Township Council on July 11 introduced an ordinance that would limit how running bamboo can be planted in Franklin.
Under the ordinance, all new plantings of running bamboo would have to be made in above-ground planters, so as to prevent the plant’s roots from spreading.
Current in-ground bamboo plantings would be grandfathered under the ordinance, provided that they have not encroached upon public or privately owned property.
Violations of the ordinance, once they are duly certified by the Township, would bring fines of at least $100 per day that the violation exists, according to the proposed ordinance.
The ordinance states that bamboo has to be at least 10 feet away from property lines or public rights-of-way.
Running bamboo is an invasive species of the tree known for aggressively proliferous spreading.
The ordinance was spurred by the pleas of some Woodlawn Road residents at the June 13 Council meeting. The residents said they have spent thousands of dollars over the years trying to remove the bamboo that has spread from their neighbors’ yards, encroaching on their yards and overhanging fences.
A public hearing on the ordinance is set for the Council’s August 8 meeting.
