By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

Parents wouldn't usually encourage their children to go play in traffic, but by putting a basketball backboard stand out in the street, they're doing just that.

"You probably know that shooting hoops in the street can be dangerous, but did you know that it is illegal to place those moveable basketball stanchions in the public right-of-way?" city spokesperson Andrew Powers asked.

The city prohibits such basketball hoops on streets for several reasons, he said.

Public safety is, of course, the first one.

Another reason is to keep the way clear for those walking by. Pedestrian access is important in keeping the city safe. A third reason is to prevent liability exposure to the city and to the owner of the basketball backboard stand.

If someone complains about a stand in the right-of-way, a city staff member will post a notice on it or at the homeowner's front door. The owner will usually have about seven days to remove the stand.

Streets and sidewalks and the greenbelts between them are considered public right-of-ways. Safety hazards in them are enforced by the public works department, not code enforcement.

Code violations are cited by city staff only when a complaint is received from a city resident who's willing to identify himself. No anonymous complaints are processed. But items put in the right-of-way are different.

"If it's in the right-of-way and a safety hazard, the city can confiscate and prosecute," said George Ehrhardt, public works inspection supervisor.

Still, it is rare for the city to address an issue with basketball stanchions unless someone complains, he said.

Storage containers in the street are another concern, according to the supervisor.

Lockable, closed storage containers such as PODS are not allowed on city streets and must be put on private property, Ehrhardt said.

Similar-looking trash dumpsters that aren't lockable are allowed on city streets, he said.