A Sewickley man didn't violate local rules when he refused to cut grass in his yard, an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court ruled. Larry Oswald was found guilty in district court in 2014 of violating the borough's property-maintenance, grass-cutting and vegetation ordinance at his home on Hill Street in Sewickley. Borough officials cited him for growing grass higher than six inches. He appealed the ruling to Common Pleas Court, where Senior Judge Robert Gallo ruled in his favor on Sept. 28. “… Larry's yard easily fell outside the ordinance,� Oday Salim, senior attorney with Pittsburgh-based Fair Shake Legal Services, who represented Oswald, said Friday. The ordinance did not define “weed� or showed proof that his yard contained them, Salim said. Instead, Oswald's yard contains “ornamental, edible and otherwise useful vegetation,� the type exempted by the ordinance, the attorney said. “The borough never even bothered to identify the specific areas in the yard that in their opinion violated the ordinance,� he said. Borough Manager Kevin Flannery did not respond to messages seeking comment. Oswald declined comment. During the first Common Pleas Court hearing in February, Walter Carson, an ecologist and biologist from the University of Pittsburgh, offered testimony, Oswald said previously. “Our expert explained in great detail that Larry's yard has far more benefits than a manicured lawn because it provided more habitat for birds and bees, could better manage storm water runoff and produced less waste material,� Salim said. This had been Oswald's contention since the 2014 citation. “My uncut yard is making clean air useful,� Oswald said previously. “Lawn mowers pollute like crazy.� On June 15, borough council adopted a new ordinance regulating the height of vegetation in residents' yards. The ordinance also also includes definitions of grasses and weeds. Oswald's lawyer found the old code didn't “reflect today's understanding of natural yard management and how beneficial they can be, and is not enforced by anyone with sufficient knowledge or expertise,� he said. “To me, it seems a shame that yards like Larry's with so many positive attributes should be singled out for enforcement simply because there are some who can't easily appreciate their beauty and utility.� Dona S. Dreeland is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-388-5803. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.