In August, Kevin and Danet Davis got a letter from the City of Santa Clarita informing them that the yard and parkway in front of their house were not up to city standards.
The dirt and weeds had to go -- and preferably be replaced by vegetation or other landscaping -- and the city gave the Davises two months to make adjustments.
But unlike cities that merely issue citations, Santa Clarita also offered a helping hand.
The Davises didn't qualify for financial help, but they planned to make use of the city's volunteer services program. Kevin Davis set about clearing the dirt and weeds, and made preparations to lay a parkway that will feature a carpet of sandy-colored pebbles.
"The city sparked us to move forward, and we like it a lot," said Davis, a first-time homeowner who moved to the Canyon Country neighborhood from Inglewood 18 months ago with his wife, two children and two dogs. "We appreciate what the city is doing to keep the community moving forward and improve neighborhoods. With the economy the way it is, the best asset you have is your home, and we're hoping to keep up its value."
That's the attitude city officials are hoping other residents will adopt as a part of Santa Clarita's new Extreme Neighborhood Makeover program. It aims to tackle a variety of unsightly problems: poor landscaping, overgrown lawns, clutter, graffiti, junk cars and trucks on front lawns and driveways.
"The city had always taken a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to what we call code enforcement," said city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz. "People would call in [violations]. The city would do a report."
But the eyesores began to fester. "We started to see some of our older neighborhoods enter a period of decline, and it was happening quite rapidly," Ortiz said.
The city started issuing citations, but when those met with resistance, Ortiz recalled, officials brainstormed a different strategy.
They decided to plant trees and eradicate graffiti in certain neighborhoods, hoping residents would see that "the city really cared about them," she said. "Before, the thought was that the city was just coming in . . . and issuing citations."
Then, this year, a new idea was launched. The concept was inspired by a television show, "Extreme Makeover" -- fitting for a city often used for filming.
