The Sunnyvale Sun
News
Unsightly shopping carts prompting action
By JASON GOLDMAN-HALL
In California, it is a misdemeanor to remove shopping carts from store property, but few if any citations are given out for the offense.
The problem is not that carts are being removed from stores; it's that very few people bring them back when they're done.
In Sunnyvale, neighbors near supermarkets, hardware stores and other cart-using businesses have seen a rise in the number of carts being left on sidewalks and in streets.
Since September of 2004, more than 1,300 abandoned carts have been reported to the city, according to the staff report to council.
Field Services Superintendent Jim Craig said rising gas prices have contributed to a rise in carts being abandoned because so many more are being taken.
"Carts are often used by those who do not have--or choose not to use cars," Craig said.
In addition to businesses potentially losing hundreds or thousands of dollars in property--carts at stores like Target cost $125 each--the carts litter neighborhoods and can lower property values.
"They make our neighborhood and the city look aesthetically unpleasing," said Taafe Street resident Megan Dyer.
Resident Vikas Kapur has made more than 200 calls about carts in just over two years. He said abandoned carts are a common sight around his home.
"I've gotten to the point where I can identify shopping carts from 50 yards away," he joked.
Councilman Christopher Moylan said if he had to lower the value of a community, he would place carts in the streets, which he called worse that cutting down trees or spraying graffiti.
Right now, carts are picked up by contracted companies whenever residents call in to complain. But the sheer number of carts, and the lack of funding for an active cleaning program, means reporting can barely keep up with the demand.
"Today, I believe the solution for dealing with shopping carts is a Band-Aid," Dyer said.
To try to solve the problem, the council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance declaring abandoned carts as a nuisance, danger or blight. The ordinance would recognize removal of carts from store property as a misdemeanor and require businesses take steps to prevent their removal. The ordinance asks each business to submit those plans to the city.
The council also wants the city to explore contracting with retrieval companies to pick up carts on a regular basis.
The estimated $22,000 it would cost each year to maintain the service could be offset by charging stores based on how many carts they have and how many need to be picked up. The service would be served by the city's cart and graffiti hotline.
To report shopping carts in your area, call the Sunnyvale cart and graffiti hotline at 408.730.7680.
