Posted on 08/06/2011 3:22:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
"The price of organic food is kind of through the roof," said Julie Bass.
So, why not grow your own? However, Bass' garden is a little unique because it's in her front yard.
"We thought it'd be really cool to do it so the neighbors could see. The kids love it. The kids from the neighborhood all come and help," she said.
UPDATE: Story becomes internet sensation around the world, click here.>>
Bass' cool garden has landed her in hot water with the City of Oak Park. Code enforcement gave her a warning, then a ticket and now she's been charged with a misdemeanor.
"I think it's sad that the City of Oak Park that's already strapped for cash is paying a lot of money to have a prosecutor bothering us," Bass told FOX 2's Alexis Wiley.
"That's not what we want to see in a front yard," said Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rulkowski.
Why? The city is pointing to a code that says a front yard has to have suitable, live, plant material. The big question is what's "suitable?"
We asked Bass whether she thinks she has suitable, live, plant material in her front yard.
"It's definitely live. It's definitely plant. It's definitely material. We think it's suitable," she said.
So, we asked Rulkowski why it's not suitable.
"If you look at the definition of what suitable is in Webster's dictionary, it will say common. So, if you look around and you look in any other community, what's common to a front yard is a nice, grass yard with beautiful trees and bushes and flowers," he said.
But when you look at front yards that are unsightly and overgrown, is Bass' vegetable garden really worth the city's time and money?
We asked Rulkowski what he would say to those who feel this is ridiculous.
"I would argue that you won't find that opinion from most people in Oak Park," he responded.
"I have a bunch of little children and we take walks to come by and see everything growing. I think it's a very wonderful thing for our neighborhood," said neighbor Devorah Gold.
"They don't have (anything) else to do (if) they're going to take her to court for a garden," said neighbor Ora Goodwin.
We did find one neighbor who wasn't a fan and thinks it needs to go.
"I know there's a backyard. Do it in the backyard," he said.
"They say, 'Why should you grow things in the front?' Well, why shouldn't I? They're fine. They're pretty. They're well maintained," said Bass.
It looks like this critical debate is headed for a jury trial and neither side is backing down.
"I could sell out and save my own self and just not have them bother me anymore, but then there's no telling what they're going to harass the next person about," Bass told us.
There's another pretrial scheduled for July 26. The next step could be a jury trial.
She’s poaching on goverment land....
They also have loquats. I love loquats.
Juliebass, michigan, mi
Wouldn't it be cool if all her neighbors planted front yard gardens? Then that would be common for the area.
Not according to the link at post #7:
On Thursday, prosecutor Eugene Lumberg told The Detroit News that he plans to take a closer look at the issue.
"I want to look at it, I want to see the facts, I want to see where this vegetable garden is going and make a determination of whether or not to prosecute under the existing ordinance, write a new ordinance and (examine) the public welfare," Lumberg said.
Seems like they might write a new law to make it illegal.
Thank you for the info. They are so close to me. I’ll check with them.
Loquats are so easy to grow and I see them all over the place in Los Angeles. It is also called nispero in South America.
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