DeKalb County Suing Backyard Farmer
Decatur Metro | September 13, 2010Oh zoning, you so dated.
This story’s actually been on many people’s radar for quite a while. Creative Loafing actually wrote a story about it way back in 2008. Since then , Mr. Miller has had his property rezoned to allow farming for profit, but DeKalb is prosecuting for the past zoning violations.
Channel 2 picked up the story and it’s already made it’s way to the Drudge Report. (h/t: DeKalb Officers)
Ridiculous waste of county time and effort. What else should they be focusing on?
This is GREAT news. It obviously means that DeKalb has solved all of its problems so that it has the time and resources to prosecute rogue agriculturalists! Thank God, because I was worried about school accreditation and those robbery/murders that keep happening just outside the City of Decatur. Silly me.
The article mentioned unpermitted employees and wonder what that means. Would the neighborhood kid mowing your lawn be considered this, or your weekly housekeeper? Many hire these types of services based on recommendations and pay in cash.
I could understand if it were disrupting traffic in the neighborhood, or neighbors were up in arms, but it doesn’t read like that.
I’m not suggesting breaking laws you don’t like, but this really seems like a waste of county resources.
File this under crazy litigation against small farmers, amongst suing farmers for being downwind and receiving GM pollen or honoring the age old tradition of saving seeds. Hmmmm…. Oh! I get it! Monsanto must have Dekalb Co zoning in their pockets.
What’s sad is that this is not a crazy thought…
Ironically, the County is having a public meeting tonight on Code Enforcement Issues. Poor code enforcement is a common problem throughout DeKalb and a task force was appointed, Unfortunately the incompetent lame duck Connie Stokes is in charge, which means nothing is likely to happen. Tonight’s meeting is at the Tucker Library and begins at 6:30.
The is Beyond Harassment!!
Government at all levels has got to get its mind straight.. they are public Servants..there to serve, protect, defend and do the will of the people. If the neighbor had a legitimate complaint, a petition for some matter that concerned them, if he was ruining soil and water, , causing excess traffic, throwing rotten veggies at little old ladies, well, there are ordinances and laws. that can be put before the people.. or simply, go and speak to the man, He seems so fine and decent..
WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM CONNIE STOKES??????????
Are you jealous of his green thumb?
Have you even gone over to his house and spoken to him?
Here in Naples Maine, we have a similar problem with local government,, it has a puffed up sense of what its’ role is..those in power so often abuse that power and use it to help cronies,or push a personal agenda..
Government at all levels needs a trip to the woodshed!!
Folks,,. take charge of your government right away..they are out-of-control!!
The funny thing is that his whole area used to be farm land!
sorry. that should have said “this” whole area. as in most of Dekalb.
this isn’t nearly as bad as a story I heard on NPR about a municipality in NYC that was using google maps to go after people who had installed backyard pools without the first getting the proper permits. iirc, the municipality’s commissioners voted to halt the practice, but only after residents became angry.
zoning was unconstitutional until the 1920s. some land use controls are obviously in order, but the enforcement mechanism we have now usually results in municipalities taking money from individuals who are harming no one.
the dekalb county attorney who prosecutes this case should be ashamed.