ordinance to ban tractors

[Anonymous Poster]

Now, please tell me,
They want more homes for more taxes, is this right?
I just left a selectmans meeting and Holland Mas now has the highest cost per student, per capita in Mass. The key word here is per capita. It costs the town 7900 per student for next fiscal year. So, lets build several more homes and get 3000 per home in taxes. What happens if one home has four kids? I am not against kids or schools to a point, but these yuppies aren't thinking. Like Holland Ma, who will hit the Mass state law proposition 2 1/2 limit of 25.00 mill rate,, they have no room left. This means all part time volunteer Fire/police/library etc, will permanently hit the skids. The Yuppies?, no problem, build more homes and more taxes will take care of it. Yeah right.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Well, no joy tonight. The number he gave me is the town hall, and the office is only open from 8 AM to 4PM.
I work from 7 to 3:30 and commute 45 minutes home. No personal cell phone (insert unusable, impolite, rather colorful words here). I emailed back and left my number. Maybe he'll call me?
I'll let you know.
DaveL
P.S. If those folks think that more houses hence more taxes work, tell them to come down to MD and talk to all of the towns scrambling to cover their budget shortfalls. Built slews of houses, got some money in exchange or infrastructure improvements (pump stations, etc.) and now they can't afford to maintain it all. I just shake my head sometimes.
Sorry about the rant but this stuff pushes my buttons but good.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

All I have to say is, the day someone walks onto my property and tells me I have to get rid of my tractor, or my truck, or that I can't paint my house a certain color, or anything that will take away any of my god given freedoms on my own land.... Is the day that person will be looking down the barrell of 16 gauges of Ithica shotgun. I would fight that with everything I had and if that didn't work, I would move. Just my opinion and beliefs. Government is supposed to be ruled by the people and serve the people. Sounds like it's time for the people of the Town of Prospect to show the local gov't who is really in charge.
-Dave

 

[kcbarnes]

my township was just zoned about a year ago and I didn't waste any time getting on the planning commission, I figured the best way to keep an eye on them was from the inside. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[thcri]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( No garage in a residential zone can be over 1,000 sq ft,3 cars or 50% the size of the dwelling. Cover-it type garages are BANNED. Fine is $150 per day. ATV or Dirtbike use is NOT ALLOWED in a residential zone. It doesn't matter if you have 1 acre or 100 acres,they are BANNED. Fine is $150 per day.)</font>

So what about the people that already have garages built larger than what the new ordinance will allow. Must we tear part of it down? I think these council boards or whatever have to learn that they work for us, not us working for them. I really believe everyone in the area should make a stand especially for the garage deal. In my residential zone, an ATV is a pre-requisite by all the neighbors. You don't have ATV you will get harrassed pretty good. A cop would have a hay day out here if they came out here at night.

murph

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thcri, You have an ATV because of peer pressure ? Well other "Peers" thinking tractors look bad and are noisy are the reason for the stupid ordinances. I have seen the same thing in serveral cities over the years. In lexington KY, you cannot park a vehicle on you lawn, even temporary. The cops will come on your "private property" and write you a ticket. In Tampa, Fl certain subdivisions have very restrictive rules. for example no vehicles parked in your driveway, and no open garage door except when moving the vehicle in or out.
More people = loss of more freedoms.
Participate in local decisions and yell loudly to the right people.

 

[kensfarm]

I believe those farmers need these guys.. http://www.defendersproprights.org.. if the govt. wants to change the zoning or the ability of what you can do w/ you land.. they have to pay.. these guys will put those commisioners in there place.. you can't just take the rights away from property owners w/out just compensation. Frederick county Maryland tried to downzone a bunch of farmland along a major highway.. they banded together and forced the county to scrap the new zoning plan and start over again. I think that farmer should park that backhoe right in the commisioners parking lot.. the only vehicle that could possibly tow it.. wouldn't be allowed in town anyway.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Markct,
As you have probably read if you have followed this thread, I emailed the town hall regarding the zoning changes that you copied on your original post. I received an email back yesterday from Mayor Robert Chatfield that he would like to speak to me regarding my email. I couldn't call him during his normal work hours so when I called his clerk gave me his home # and I left a message on his answering machine. He called back and we discussed the issues pertaining to the zoning changes.
His major concern was that I was some kind of activist (ME????? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif), and that the zoning review process was being mis-represented. I assured him that I just got a little torqued after reading the post and decided to email the town.
1. Aparently, there have been several public workshops to get public input on the new zoning regs and more are planned before it comes to a vote.
2. There are no working farms in the proposed residential zone (aparently the largest plot affected by the new regs is about 3 acres).
3. The problem the town is trying to address is the parking of construction equipment in subdivisions. From what I was told, some folks are parking dump trucks, backhoes, track machines on trailers, etc. on the street in front of homes on building lots in subdivisions, causing access problems. There are 2 places in the town where equipment can be parked (for a fee).
Suffice to say, it sounds like things are on the up and up. The mayor is not a yuppie type, and is not only the mayor but the fire chief as well. He is going to email me more info. I'll post it as I get it.
Hope this clarifies things a little bit.
DaveL

 

[GaryG]

Thanks Dave,
It pays to go to the source of the problem. Sounds like the city does have some legitimate concerns. Hopefully they will be worked out without a gun battle on Main Street. I'll keep watching for future developements.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

ken,
I followed that battle too. But its the reverse of the situation in Prospect. The county wanted to keep the land un-developed to keep commercial development to a minimum north of town on rt. 15 but ran into folks who had their money (and their retirement in some cases) tied up in land that would lose a lot of value with the down zoning. I hate to see willy nilly development, but in the same token the county doesn't have the right to down zone possibly lucrative commercial land.
DaveL