BOSTON (WHDH) - A prominent Boston landscape architect is fighting a citation for overgrown hedges on his Roslindale property.
The city’s Public Works Department recently slapped Ricardo Austrich, the President of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, with a $15 fine for overgrown bushes at his Roslindale home.
Austrich told 7NEWS he got a laugh out of the fact that he was ticketed for the hedges along his sidewalk.
“I really kind of thought it was kind of a hoot and it was ironic,” Austrich said. “Me of all people as the landscape architect and representative as the President of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects gets a violation for an overgrown hedge — which I understand is overgrown.”
Austrich says he and his spouse decided to grow the bushes to cover up a chainlink fence that separates his property from neighborhood foot traffic.
But, with all the spring rain, the bush grew faster than usual and began spilling out onto the sidewalk.
“We partner with the city as professionals all the time and I understand they’re trying to do something good as well,” he said, admitting that the bush did get a little out of hand.
And though he admits there was some work to do, Austrich said he still hasn’t paid the fine.
“Let’s see where we go,” he said.
Austrich says he plans to take clippers to the hedge this weekend and is hoping the city will drop the fine.
“Pruning it on, I’m having a hedge trimming party on Sunday,” Austrich said. “I’ll take an after [photo] and say, ‘look, I took care of it’ and you know, ‘let’s let bygones be bygones on this.'”
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