Indio grandfather fights to keep play set in his front yard

Indio Police Department officials said they received a call Monday morning from a neighbor complaining about play equipment in Rigo Ramirez’s front yard. Ramirez says he just wants a place to watch his family grow.

Poll: Do you think a homeowner should be allowed to build a playground in an open front yard?

“I thought how cool would it be if I had this playground for my grand kids. We don’t have room in the backyard,” said Ramirez.

The Ramierz family is hoping that they can reach a compromise with the city so that they don’t have to take the equipment down.

“I just ask the city to have a heart. We work hard. We finally get the house, we own something, let’s hook it up, make its something for them to remember where they grew up,” said Ramirez.

I knocked on neighbors’ doors and talked to one neighbor who says he hopes something gets resolved for Ramirez. Rafael Gutierrez says the play equipment doesn’t bother him and he feels that it encourages other parents to play outdoors with their kids.

Indio police say the equipment is considered a public nuisance and that Ramirez violated code. Ramirez has up to 15 days to take the equipment down, or 30 days to contest it. Ramirez plans on appealing the citation.