I guess Morristown has no other crimes to fight, if they are left to prosecute the Amish for building their excellently crafted homes.
Just pathetic.
It’s not about how well built the homes are, it’s about the permit (fee$). In the wise words of the Maharushie “Follow the money.”
The whole religious freedom issue aside, as long as the Amish are building for their own use and occupancy I see no reason to require a building permit. I could see making sure the home was not built in the wrong landuse area, but I doubt that would be an issue. The Amish are not going to build their houses in an industrial/ manufacturing zone.
The purpose of the building code is to protect the health, safety and life of the public. Even municipalities which have adopted the building codes will make exceptions for owner/builders provided the house will be occupied for a minimum amount of time by the owner/builder. Some still require permits but others do waive permitting requirements all together. So just who it the town of Morisstown protecting? The Amish, nope, the public, nope, the bloated town beauracracy(sp) Bingo!
The simple solution would be to write an exemption into State law for such construction. But this takes time. Meanwhile Morristown should just be honest and tell the Amish what they really want is the permit fees. Cause this sure as hell is about the money and not about public safety.