COSTA MESA : Garage Sale Rules Won’t Be Changed

City officials have changed their minds about limiting garage sales to four weekends a year, saying an ordinance proposed last month would be too restrictive.

Mayor Joe Erickson said at Monday’s City Council meeting that he now opposes allowing sales on only four dates--in February, May, August and November.

“I received a number of phone calls on this issue,” he said, “and a lot of people see this as a real intrusion.”

Instead, the council voted to stick with its original system, which lets each resident hold two sales a year.

Representatives of homeowners groups told the council that the system would be acceptable if not for the fact that scores of residents simply ignore the law and hold sales almost every weekend.