Do people have the right to police the sidewalk and grass strip along the curb in front of their homes?
I moved to DC with my dog five years ago. I walk him at least three times a day around the neighborhood and change routes but often take some combination of a few streets. Of course, I always clean up after him and try to be respectful of private property. I live in a residential area of NW DC. I often notice signs in the grass strip between the curb and the sidewalk depicting a no dogs sign. In cases of well kept landscaping, I typically understand the spirit of the sign - to keep the landscaping looking nice for everyone to enjoy. I find the signs somewhat aggressively worded at times, but I respect someone trying to keep the landscaping and neighborhood looking nice. Today, I was walking and noticed a patch of grass that my dog will occasionally use with a “no dogs” sign. This is a patch of grass between the curb and street that is maybe 8’ long and 1.5’ wide, for context, with no flowers or landscaping. While I try to courteous, my understanding is that the area between the sidewalk and road is city property that is require, like sidewalks, to be maintained by the property owner adjacent to the public space. It feels like over-policing of shared space in a city where dogs are common and this is typical practice. I try to be respectful, but sometimes it feels out of hand. Is my understanding correct?