San Luis renews efforts to curb illegal shade structures
Move irks some residents
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — City Hall is again cracking down on residential shade structures that don’t comply with municipal codes.
And some residents aren’t happy.
Last month, San Luis residents began receiving notices from the city to remove non-compliant awnings, ramadas and other structures, or face the prospect of being cited and taken to municipal court.
Among those getting the orders to take down the structures was Daniel Co- rona, a resident of the city’s southeast side. But Corona said he’s not removing his and he said the city is reneging on a promise he contends the city council made two years ago not to enforce the regulation.
“They didn’t keep their word, that’s the problem,” he said. “The same mayor told us (previously) that we could keep the shades, so we can’t trust in (city) government.”
In 2015, the city previously sent warning letters to residents whose shade structures were identified as violating the Interna-
tional Residential Code as well as a city ordinance adopted in 2012. Dozens of residents appeared before the council to complain, and the council ordered the city’s Department of Development Services to stop sending the letters, pending a review of and possible amendments to the regulations.
The residents got a verbal OK that they could keep their awnings for the time being and while nothing was put in writing by the city, said Corona, they assumed the issue had been settled.
But Mayor Gerardo Sanchez said the council merely agreed to postpone enforcing the rules so that the city could individually review each non-compliant structure and focus on correcting those that posed the greatest risk to safety.
“No one was given permission (to have a noncompliant awning). A period was opened to review (the structures) case by case, and if it takes three or five years, so be it. They are reviewing case by case and coming back to notify those who are violating the regulation. Something that is illegal can’t be kept in place.”
Sanchez said city officials have been relying on the advice of professional engineers and have consulted with regulations in other communities to help them with their review. They have also been talking with the city prosecutor about what steps will be taken in case some homeowners refuse to take down illegal structures.
“There are state requirements that we have to follow and we can’t break the law,” Sanchez said.
Resident Jorge Villicana said he received a notice in 2015 to remove his shade structure then, but that he didn’t comply. He said he has since received no other order.
Villicana said the city’s renewed efforts to enforce shade structure rules are unjust. “Ramadas and awnings are needed over everything in times of heat. I agree that they have to meet certain regulations that are reasonable, but they should not be prohibited.”
He called the city’s focus on the shade structures “questionable,” given that before 2015 no such regulations were enforced.
“They don’t understand that people are their bosses,” Villicana. “There’s already lot of discontent among the people and now they are adding this.”
Sanchez said the process of reviewing ramadas and awnings is continuing, section by section, throughout San Luis, to make sure that all meet city and state regulations.