That is so wild!
Now all I'm waiting for is to hear something going on here to make the Ashland, WI trifecta news complete:
Posted on 06/18/2006 9:20:47 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
ASHLAND, WI (AP) -- Pat Morris' garden is mowed but not forgotten.
Morris took blades to her garden after a city inspector sent her a letter saying the lawn had grown longer than 10 inches, violating city rules, and had to be cut.
Morris then explained the lawn was a garden, not a weed patch, and the city gave her an option of applying for a natural lawn permit for $25.
She refused, contending she shouldn't have to pay to grow a garden, and instead mowed the garden and put the city's letter on display in her front yard.
"Suggesting that the garden needed to be mowed was inappropriate and kind of heavy-handed," Councilor Rick Dowd said when the City Council met in committee last week.
Dowd said he had walked past Morris' home for years and admired the garden.
"A letter went out, and that was a mistake," agreed Brea Lemke, city zoning administration.
She said her staff must do a better job of telling neglected lawns from gardens, although part of the problem was that Morris' plants were just starting to grow, making them resemble weeds.
Dowd said city officials should recognize gardens as a legitimate type of landscaping for lawn areas.
Council members discussed drafting such a provision, which would make gardens legal lawns without requiring a permit, and Interim City Administrator Brian Knapp said he will investigate the matter.
Ah, Springtime in Wisconsin, LOL! :)
SJackson: For the Midwest Ping List, if appropriate.
Gabz: 'Lawn Gnatzies' in Wisconsin, LOL! ;)
Good for her. I hate these two-bit beaurocrats who use any bit of power to justify their existence. Feel bad for the plants though. Lawn gnatzies in WI? Try Torrance, CA. Praise the Lord, I don't live there anymore!
The city regulates lawn care?
Commies.
Most cities and plenty of townships do as well...Most Americans it seems, conservatives included, don't care for that clause, Life, Liberty and the persuit of Happiness...
People thrive on power, even at the lowest levels...
Two years ago when the drought in Utah was really bad, some guy got in trouble becasue he was trying to do something like set up a rock garden/xeriscaped front yard, and it didn't have enough green stuff in it for the city ordinance.
Funny how in the middle of a dry place everybody has to have a green grassy lawn.
I think the key phrase in this article is where they admit that her garden was just beginning to grow and looked like weeds. I appreciate that my neighborhood doesn't allow a yard full of weeds. Did anybody see this 'garden'? Was it, in fact, a garden? Or just an untended yard?
One more thing. A Councilman said he had admired her garden for years but the article says that it was just beginning to grow. What's really going on here???
Nanny State Ping!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some people...............
And tax dollars go to these things. Imagine that -and what's next.
Thanks for the ping.
Garden incident prompts ordinance review; City staff acknowledges mistake made By ANDREW BROMAN
The Daily Press
Thursday, June 15th, 2006 09:30:29 AM
http://www.ashlandwi.com/dailypress/index.php?story_id=209949&view=text
Ashland officials say they will rethink the city's lawn ordinance in response to concerns about a city resident having to mow her garden to comply with regulations.
"Suggesting that the garden needed to be mowed was inappropriate and kind of heavy-handed," Councilor Rick Dowd said during a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday night.
Dowd said he's walked by the resident's home at 505 W. Third St. for many years and has always admired the garden.
The resident, Pat Morris, received a letter ordering her lawn cut because it was over 10 inches long. Morris explained that her lawn was a garden, not a patch of overgrown weeds as a city inspector initially thought.
City Hall gave her the option of applying for a $25 natural lawn permit, but she refused to get a permit, arguing she shouldn't have to pay money to grow a garden. She mowed her garden as a result and put the city's letter on display in her front yard in protest.
City councilors acknowledged other residents could be violating the ordinance with their gardens, and the council discussed crafting a new provision to allow gardens as legal lawns without requiring a permit.
Morris might have been unable to keep her garden even if she had applied for the permit because the permit requires setbacks from the right-of-way and sides of the property. Her lawn might have been too small, city staff said during the meeting.
Zoning Administrator Brea Lemke said sending the letter to Morris was a mistake, and her staff needs to do a better job of distinguishing neglected lawns versus gardens.
"A letter went out, and that was a mistake," Lemke said.
She said part of the problem was that Morris' garden was just starting to grow and looked similar to weeds.
"We do need to be more cautious moving forward," Lemke said. "We also need to make sure it's not invasive species, or a lawn gone mad."
Dowd said the city should recognize gardens as a legitimate means for landscaping lawns.
Council President Brandon Boys said the permit seems to punish people for complying with the law, while violators only mow their lawn after receiving a warning letter from the city and avoid paying any fine.
Interim City Administrator Brian Knapp said he is an advocate of natural landscaping and said he would investigate the matter.
"There are a number of things I'd like to look at over the next few months," Knapp said.
Maybe the Councilman is up for re-election.
</cynical comment>
"...or a lawn gone mad."
Video available at www.LawnsGoneWild!.com ;)
Possible that she plants the same garden each year.
That is so wild!
Now all I'm waiting for is to hear something going on here to make the Ashland, WI trifecta news complete:
So what if it was an untended yard.
It's her property.
My city just passed a law that a fence no higher than 4' can be put on the street side of your property.
This is a thickly settled city but some idiot do-gooder thought it made the city looked too fortified and unfriendly.
Probably less than 5% of the homes had the taller fences but one person complained and ANOTHER new law was put on the books.
Madness !
What a crock of B.S.
Can't even have a garden without these a$$holes hassling you over a permit(money).
Why can't these jerks mind their own business?
They must not have any real issues to deal with.
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