In the, "are you kidding me department"

F1nut

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/08/julie-bass-jail-vegetable-garden_n_893436.html?1310504685&icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%7C218739

tonyb

Saw that one early on Jess. I know towns have ordinances and all that, but her garden certainly isn't an eye sore. I've seen regular shrubery look worse than her garden.

ysss

'tis the s#!t-brown/yellowish short fences. she should've painted them white or something.

nooshinjohn

I am going to file this one under don't get me started... I think everyone here knows how that will turn out.

tonyb

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I am going to file this one under don't get me started... I think everyone here knows how that will turn out.

Geez big guy, I haven't a clue.:biggrin:

Little by little my friend...

F1nut

tonyb wrote: »

I've seen regular shrubery look worse than her garden.

Seriously!!!

danger boy

this is just as stupid as that city that gave the little girl a fine for selling lemonade a while back.. seriously city officials... get back to work on something serious and stop wasting tax payer dollars on nonsense like this. sheesh!

apphd

While I agree with everyone else, take a look at it from another view. A lot would depend on a look at the rest of the houses and front lawns on her street. If they are all golf course greens with pro landscaped flowers and what not, what about them? Their home values have already taken a hit by the economy, then drive down the street and see this, and it would stick out like a sore thumb, maybe (granted, a big maybe) knocking their home values down more. What about them? Govern for one or the majority? What if you lived next door and found yourself in this position? Not sure where Oak Park is, but could this be an area also hit hard by the thumping the US auto industry has taken?

As with everything, there is more to the story than what we get from the "news"

disneyjoe7

Welcome to the Nanny State.

obieone

Schmucks.

bobman1235

Keiko wrote: »

This country certainly has adopted some lame **** laws made by lame **** officials. Leave the lady alone and let her garden, dammit! :mad:

This isn't even a law! This is just an overzealous town council trying to flex its muscle.

mdaudioguy

It isn't pretty, but maybe if she shared some peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers with her neighbors, they'd band behind her.

Toolfan66

You can add this to the list!!! LOL!!!


http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121742

Just teasing AC!!

maximillian

apphd wrote: »

If they are all golf course greens with pro landscaped flowers and what not, what about them? Their home values have already taken a hit by the economy, then drive down the street and see this, and it would stick out like a sore thumb, maybe (granted, a big maybe) knocking their home values down more. What about them?

Unless you live in a HO association, who cares about them? So if I don't have money to weed properly and all my neighbors have manicured lawns I should be fined? If I don't live in a HO association then these freedoms should be allowed.

Personally, I would hate living next to someone who fixes his cars all day long in his driveway and their front lawn looks like a mechanic's shop. Yet, I would endure it compared to giving the city the power to tell someone what to do with their own property simply because someone doesn't "like it". Reasonable enforcement of certain restrictions are OK. Destricting a well-maintained garden though? Her garden is far from an eye sore.

ysss

Maybe she's a b*tch and the city council actually tried to talk to her nicely.

Joe08867

I could see if it was unkempt but it looks very organized and clean.

Sounds like all the crimes are solved in that town and now they are just looking for stuff to do.

DollarDave

Seriously? If everybody had a fricking farm in their front yard we'd have all sorts of issues. While this lady's is a nice manicured "garden", where do you draw the line? Sunflowers and 6 foot tall corn? Let me tell you, those two examples look like crap when they start to mature.

There is a reason we have long-standing ordinances against farming within a community - insects, rodents, wild game, etc, etc. It's not always about a government take-over.

This is all from me, one of the most conservative folks you will ever encounter.

bobman1235

DaveMuell wrote: »

Seriously? If everybody had a fricking farm in their front yard we'd have all sorts of issues. While this lady's is a nice manicured "garden", where do you draw the line?

Somewhere rational?

This has nothing to do with any of the things you're talking about. She's not farming - LOTS of people have backyard gardens. Their only point is the looks, adn that little thing looks better than most **** lawns in my neighborhood, I tell you what.

tonyb

My point exactly. Some houses have weeds 2 feet tall, unkept shrubery, crap all over the lawn, heck I even saw someone with an old couch on the lawn, in another neighborhood thank god. Still, alittle common sense goes along way here. If it's not an eye sore, reasonably speaking, then it appears some neighbors complained, or the city is looking to raise revenue.

steveinaz

While I think it's rediculous that this issue was raised this high, I don't think a front yard vegetable garden is appropriate--if you want to put any thought into your neighbors property values.

When you live in a sub-division setting, you can't (or shouldn't) do certain things that may be completetly appropriate if you had your own acreage. It requires a little common sense, and thinking about how it may affect your neighbors. I'm not trying to be an **** here, I'm just saying that it doesn't appear that she thought much, if at all, about her neighbors. Jail time? that's just stupid.

bobman1235

steveinaz wrote: »

While I think it's rediculous that this issue was raised this high, I don't think a front yard vegetable garden is appropriate--if you want to put any thought into your neighbors property values.

When you live in a sub-division setting, you can't (shouldn't) do certain things that may be completetly appropriate if you had your own acreage. It requires a little common sense, and thinking about how it may affect your neighbors. I'm not trying to be an **** here, I'm just asying that it doesn't appear that she thought much, if at all, about her neighbors. Jail time? that's just stupid.

I could agree with this if it looked bad, but... I really think it looks fine.



Based on the looks of the house, and its proximity to neighbors, it's not in a super-rich neighborhood. I guarantee this looks nicer than some other yards on the block.

DollarDave

bobman1235 wrote: »

I could agree with this if it looked bad, but... I really think it looks fine..

I think it looks terrible. I would be pissed that my neighbor had that in their front yard. And, I don't agree that some city government worker should use his/her discretion to determine wether his friend's passes and yours doesn't.

steveinaz

She's done a nice job, no doubt, but the challenge becomes will the next person do as good a job? You know the deal---you let 1 person do it, you have to let everyone do it.

Believe it or not, at my prior home, we had a redneck down the street plant CORN in his front yard---see what I'm saying? Luckily our house sold quickly...

bobman1235

I undersatnd the slippery slope agreement, I just don't agree with it is all. I'm up front about things. If a neighbor tried to do the same thing but with corn stalks, why can't someone go up to them and say "this looks like ****. Knock it off?"

"But the neighbor has vegetables!"

"yes, but it doesn't look like ****."

You're allowed to have grass in your yard but not let it get overgrown, right? Why can't there be a reasonable compromise for vegetables?

I dunno, maybe I'm just the wrong person to talk about this kind of thing because outside of some extreme circumstance (like, garbage or something) I could not care less what my neighbors lawns look like, unless they have wild animals attacking me from them. I mean, the house across the street from me is abandoned (relatively recently, I'm guessing foreclosure) and the lawn is way overgrown. Oh noes! Whatever shall I do! Lawdy.

Joe08867

That is honestly no different from flower boxes on the lawn. It is organized, neat and clean. It also looks like she has an additional 4-5 feet before it gets to the front walkway so I really don't see the big deal.

Dave, are you really that shallow? it's a garden for Christ sake not the end of the world. Pissed because someone has some tomato plants in there front yard? Wow, glad I don't live near you....

aviator

What my neighbor plants in his front yard is his business, not mine.

ohskigod

I really dont think a front yard vegetable garden is going to drag down property values. if they get unruly, you deal with it the same way a town would deal with overgrown grass.

veggies = plants.

DollarDave

Joe08867 wrote: »

That is honestly no different from flower boxes on the lawn. It is organized, neat and clean. It also looks like she has an additional 4-5 feet before it gets to the front walkway so I really don't see the big deal.

Dave, are you really that shallow? it's a garden for Christ sake not the end of the world. Pissed because someone has some tomato plants in there front yard? Wow, glad I don't live near you....

Apparently I really am that shallow. I work hard on my yard and spend a good deal of time and money on it. There are city ordinances (and HOA rules in many cases) that dictate to property owners who choose to live within the boundaries of those rules whether they can/can't do certain things. Having a garden in your front yard is apparently one of those things.

I don't know you, so I won't suggest that I am glad I don't live near you. But, that comment would appear to be a personal criticism of me that I wouldn't wager against you for having a differing opinion than I.

steveinaz

Aviator,
I hear ya, my point is maybe she should have put a little thought on how it would impact neighbors. Technically/legally I think she has argument---but that doesn't make it alright.

I can legally build an ATV mud track in my front yard, but I wouldn't. It's not appropriate in a sub-division setting, IMO.

This is why this country has so many laws on the books---people aren't using good judgement and common sense. They are thinking only of what they want, with no regard to how it may affect others. A little respect goes a long way.

Veggie gardens, pools, swing sets, sand boxes---belong in the backyard.

bobman1235

DaveMuell wrote: »

Apparently I really am that shallow. I work hard on my yard and spend a good deal of time and money on it. There are city ordinances (and HOA rules in many cases) that dictate to property owners who choose to live within the boundaries of those rules whether they can/can't do certain things. Having a garden in your front yard is apparently one of those things.

If you read the article, the reason this is a big deal is because a vegetable garden is NOT stated as being against the law or any ordinance.

According to Bass, the disagreement stems from a gray area in the city legislation which allows for decorative planting in the front yard but does not specifically address vegetable gardening. She planted the garden after a busted sewage pipe tore up her lawn.

According to a local ABC affiliate, city code states that "all unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass or ground cover or shrubbery or other suitable live plant material."

Posing the question: Are cabbages, peppers, tomatos and cucumbers "suitable" for the front lawn?

Also, they're trying to send a woman to jail for planting a garden. Whether the garden is appropriate or not, and whether you like it or not, PRISON is not an appropriate response.

madmax

ysss wrote: »

'tis the s#!t-brown/yellowish short fences. she should've painted them white or something.

That is the first thing I thought of when I saw the pic. It could have been done with a lot more style rather than being so utilitarian. I think if you want total freedom of what you can do you need to move further away from other people.