Posted on 07/10/2011 9:31:39 AM PDT by American in Israel
"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...
..."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?"
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxdetroit.com ...
We have a small lake association here but its less than 20 families and we don’t really deal with any issues beyond paying to cut weeds out of the lake.
There’s a subdivision nearby that would like to join the lake association but we don’t want their control and they can’t force it.
Checking the message to the inhabitants of Oak Park the mayor informs them how resources are limited and the city must cut services until things get better.
Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rulkowski’s job description seems to be nothing more than another hack job with a fancy title and Mr. Rulkowski’s services would not be missed in this time of economic need.
Now that this item has gone national it’s creating a lot of attention how Oak Park is operated.
Don’t try to email anyone involved in city hall. It appears they shut down their email.
Oak Park is heavily Hassidic Jews. Probably not too many allah gardens there.
I hope her neighbors water and weed her garden while she’s gone.
To my mind, the actions of the city are clearly unconstitutional. There are no dangerous conditions, clearly none which extends beyond the boundries of her property, and, therefore, the city has no legitimate interest in her actions.
Good group call - keep them away at all costs;)
Be very wary of the leader of the ‘insurgents’ - that’s the one who will run for Chairman of the Board, and tell everyone else how to paint their houses and which trim color to use!!!!!
“Gardening at Gunpoint”
“What the heck is “suitable live plant material?”
Suitable live plant material is simply what everyone else plants. No uniqueness or thinking out of the box. Last year, we grew potatoes in our backyard. Most neighbors don’t care on way or the other BUT we do have one neighbor that is a pain. Potatoes? How ugly. You should plant azaleas or something more suitable? You can’t eat azaleas (I said). In Suburban areas (not all but many), people have the tendency to plant what everyone else is planting. Little plants with tons of mulch and no weeds. I think it is more “free” in the country. You plant what you like and that includes vegetables and fruits. (Gee, do you think I wish I lived in a more rural area or what?!!)
Hold your ground. Stay and buy a gun.
This is my first year of having a “serious” garden, and I tried to plant things I knew we would eat. Aromatics are wonderful too — rosemary, basil, etc. — and anyone who’s seen a squash flower knows they’re spectacular.
This is getting so stupid. Just a couple of days ago I learned that here in MI if you put up an inflatable or temporary pool more than 2’ deep you have to have a permit. And an electrical inspection! How crazy is that??? We’re nagged to death as parents about sedentary kids who eat too much junk food, are on the computer too much and spend too much time in front of the TV, but we put up a pool and they throw up red tape roadblocks.
Saw on a website somewhere (preparedness, I think) where people planted their vegetables to blend in with their flowers and other shrubs. Unless the neighbors were in the yard a lot, or were told, they probably wouldn’t know the difference.
If a neighbor asks what is is—use the Latin word, such as, Solanum tuberosum.
I would HATE a neighborhood with a Home Owners’ Agreement.
Yep, what’s wrong with a vegatable garden? The sight of a garden rather than a green lawn and shrubs offends the sensibilities of some people????
How would they like to see houses with the front yards full of trash and cars up on blocks, cars which never seem to get repaired and on the road again? How about yards with old refrigerators? There could be lots worse to see than a vegetable garden.
No, but the people that voted for him and support his foolishness are!!! Just wait until they come around to gore your OXEN!~!
As Michigan is an awesome state with this pimple on its bum called ‘Detroit’.
Somewhat like Louisiana with New Orleans, and Texas with Austin. “Urban values” as Colin Powell termed them are always wretched.
Yours is probably a more rural area. And yours is probably an area where it’s left up to people’s own common sense as to what to do on their property. And yours is probably an area in which people act responsibly in deciding what to do with their property.
I bet your town doesn’t even have a bureaucrat who goes around looking for zoning violations to justify his/her existence.
“Hold your ground”
We did. I don’t care if they don’t like it or not. Fresh potatoes dug out of your own garden... yum. This year, we have tomato plants. Yum again!
All of Michigan? or just certain jurisdictions?
Did you really think we want those laws observed? said Dr. Ferris. We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.
('Atlas Shrugged' 1957) {WMail Issue #23}
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.