Fair Deal for Those Who Hold Yard Sales : * Santa Ana’s Plan to Limit Them to 4 Designated Weekends a Year Is Practical, Flexible

Santa Ana has approached the awkward problem of yard sales run amok with a good measure of reason and flexibility. On most weekends, driveways and empty parking lots are filled with racks of clothing and appliances, and neighborhood streets become congested with traffic and pedestrians. City Council members and neighborhood association activists have complained mightily, and code enforcement officials have acknowledged that, given the holding of between 300 and 500 garage sales on any given weekend day around town, it is impossible to enforce the existing law. It allows only two garage sales a year per address, but the obvious problem is monitoring for compliance on a basis that is so site specific. The open disregard for the law provides sufficient answer: There is no way.

The city initially proposed a revised ordinance that would allow yard sales on only four weekends a year, twice in May and twice in October. But there were legitimate concerns about people who might want to hold garage sales to move. Why penalize them? So last week, the council endorsed an alternate plan and will take it up again next month. It would limit garage sales to four designated weekends each year, which effectively should provide an ample window every three months for those moving.

The yard sales do provide an opportunity for those who can’t afford prices at most stores or who are without cars to buy and sell necessities without having to get to swap meets. But it is a different matter when neighborhoods are regularly transformed into bazaars.

The proposed regulation will provide legitimate opportunity for yard sales periodically. It will also channel business activities into commercial areas, where they belong.

It deserves support. Santa Ana appears to have fashioned an approach that is fair and allows for popular yard sales to continue, but one that keeps neighborhoods from becoming swap meets.