Mill Creek's vibrancy is a direct reflection of its neighborhoods. The City is home to a number of homeowners associations throughout Mill Creek, which have specific neighborhood rules to preserve the look and feel of our beautiful city.
The City also has land use codes that promote safety and livability, and help residents maintain property values. These codes are especially important in areas without active homeowner associations because they help create and maintain our community's identity.
All Mill Creek residents share a responsibility for creating and maintaining quality neighborhoods. However, people are often unaware of the code and create situations that are unpleasant for neighbors. Following are some tips about common code violations to help residents be great public citizens.
Residential Property Maintenance and Owner Responsibilities
Landscaping and General Property
Upkeep: Remove or trim back overgrown vegetation and dispose of all garbage and debris. Piles of cut brush can harbor rats and other animals, which may impact the health of residents and pets. Property owners are required to adequately maintain fencing, remove noxious weeds, tow away junk vehicles, paint over or remove graffiti, and keep the structures on their property in good repair.
- Sidewalks: Property owners are responsible for the sidewalks and planting strips adjacent to their property. Sidewalks must be clear of vegetation, litter, ice, snow and other hazards that block the pathway or interfere with safe pedestrian use. Vegetation must be maintained so that trees, plants and shrubs do not overhang any portion of the sidewalk (7 feet above the sidewalk and 14 feet above the road), or do not obscure any traffic control device. Vegetation within three feet of a fire hydrant cannot be over six inches in height.
Vehicle Parking Restrictions and Inoperable Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Parking: All passenger vehicles, including pickup trucks, must be parked in a paved or gravel driveway, parking space, carport or garage. No RV, boat, trailer or inoperable vehicle is allowed to be parked or stored in any front yard or front yard setback area, including the driveway. An RV may be stored in a side or rear yard if it can be fully screened from view from any public right-of-way.
- Large Vehicles Restricted: Commercial vehicles may not be parked on any lot in a residential zone, including the driveway (MCMC 17.22.080). In addition, large vehicles may not be parked on any street between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless the owner notifies the Police Department in advance and obtains a permit for such parking. A vehicle parking permit may be requested in person at 15728 Main Street or by phone at 425-745-6175. Extended parking permits are limited to either four permits per month (each for a maximum of a 24-hour period) or one permit per month for a 96-hour period.
Inoperable Vehicles: An inoperable motor vehicle is any motor vehicle, which by reason of dismantling, disrepair, lack of licensing, or other cause, is either incapable of being propelled under its own power or is prevented by law from being propelled on a public roadway. Inoperable vehicles may not be parked or stored in any front yard or front yard setback area including the driveway. In addition, Mill Creek Municipal Code Section 10.12.125 prohibits a vehicle without current state tabs from being parked on public roads. Without valid tabs, the car may be ticketed or towed. Inoperable vehicles need to be stored out of view or removed from the property.
- Disposing of Inoperable Vehicles: If you have the vehicle title, call your local licensed auto recycler. A listing of recyclers in the area may be found on the Washington State Dept. of Ecology's website or by calling 1-800-RECYCLE. If you own the inoperable vehicle but cannot find the title, take the license plate number, the vehicle identification number (VIN), and your personal ID to your local vehicle licensing agent. Tell the licensing agent that you want an Affidavit in Lieu of Title to be used for the purpose of disposal (recycling) of the vehicle. Once you acquire this documentation, the vehicle may be legally removed and disposed of by the property owner or a licensed auto recycler. If it has been several years since your vehicle was licensed and the Department of Licensing no longer has your vehicle in their system, you may not be able to apply for an Affidavit in Lieu of Title. In that instance, you can complete a Junk Vehicle Affidavit and request inspection by the Mill Creek Police Support Officer at 425-921-5765 or via email at [email protected]. Once signed, this form can then be used to dispose of your vehicle.
Enforcement
If the City is notified of a code violation, such as those listed above, it will notify the property owner and set a time period for the issue to be corrected. If a property owner fails to correct a violation within the specific correction period, they will be issued a $100 fine. If the code violation is still not corrected, a $250 fine will be issued, with fines accruing at $250 per day for every day the violation remains uncorrected.