Local governments can inspect inside your private home

The Asheville Tribune ^ | 7/26/02 | By Clint Parker

[Jonathon Spectre]

JS: Which one of the five neighbors wants to try and come in first?

Publius: You got to be kidding. They get the gorillas with the guns to do it for them.

Which one of the gorillas with guns wants to be first?

[Kay Ludlow]

Interesting Land Use plan. Here in PA it's called a Comprehensive Plan, but calls for pretty much the same thing. The PA Smart Growth Inititative, with Growing Greener funding (Former Gov Tom Ridge's projects) are funding, encouraging and hoping to require these same regulations in every county and community in PA.

In the Centre Region (home to PSU) we've had some of this for years, but of course it isn't enough. We've had a rental inspection program for probably 30 years, and in fact it's turned into a 'tool' for neighbors and disgruntled renters to get back at property owners with. You pay for the rental permit every year, then are on the list for "random" inspections. I've been really amazed at how many widows (husband was the landlord) come up on the list for random inpsections within a year of their bereavement...

For our latest comprehensive plan update, they want to require more alternative transportation, get more control of landscaping, and require the exterior with Natural Materials and non-reflective glass. Oh, and for new construction, they want no building on hilltops, no building on slopes, and no building on farm-fields! We've been working at getting the citizens informed about what these plans include, since when people KNOW, they OPPOSE! It's just mostly done behind closed doors, with the final project (and price-tag) presented to the community.

It all seems pretty unconstitutional to me... but few have the $$$ to challenge it. A few of us intrepid local Freepers are organizing though, and standing up for our rights - leaving local government officials pretty surprised!