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TheRoanokeStar.com
5/2/08 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 5
Are local zoning laws simply Socialist-style central planning?
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hat if you had to go before a government committee to ask permission any time you wanted to make a modification to your home? What if that committee said you weren’t allowed to replace your windows with the $100 windows you were planning to buy, but instead, you’d have to replace them with $300 windows, because they “fit in� better with how the government wanted your neighborhood to look? What if the government could tell you what color you could paint your home, what type of fence – if any – you were allowed to build in your backyard, and that you couldn’t plant your favorite trees and bushes because they weren’t on the government’s approved list? Is this a little reminiscent of the Soviet Union? Actually, this is your community. The very restrictions I mention above happen right here in the Roanoke Valley, and
this is what zoning home more livable laws, zoning boards, for her handicapped and architectural remom. view boards do every Last week, Anselmo day. If you’ve made was found guilty and modifications to your fined $200, and could home or land and face additional CRIMhaven’t gotten perINAL charges and mission and haven’t fines until she takes gotten in trouble, the doors off and puts maybe it’s just behe window back. Yes, Brian Gottstein cause you haven’t she was found guilty been caught yet. of a CRIME for havTake the story of Paula Ansel- ing “unapproved� doors on her mo who lives in Roanoke’s Old home, comrade. Southwest. She replaced her This isn’t an isolated incident. front window with French doors There are many such stories. to help her wheelchair-bound But most don’t make it to court mother have easier access to her or to the media because most porch. homeowners don’t have the The doors violated a historic time or money to fight the govzoning ordinance in that neigh- ernment’s virtually unlimited borhood. The Architectural Re- dollars. Homeowners generally view Board denied her petition give in, thinking they “can’t fight to keep the doors, and when she city hall.� appealed, Roanoke City Council Those who feel zoning laws upheld the board’s ruling. The are necessary are often neighbureaucrats and elected over- borhood busy bodies, centralseers on high gave thumbs down planning bureaucrats, and peoto a citizen wanting to make her ple who stand to profit from the
restrictions. When these laws are made over such subjective things as the color someone decides to paint his house or the kind of door he decides to put on his porch, it is out of hand. Zoning proponents claim the laws keep people from making their homes less attractive and by osmosis, “devaluing� other houses in the neighborhood; or the laws force aesthetic conformity among homes, creating a neighborhood “identity.� Using their logic, I could claim that we should have zoning laws prohibiting more than two children living in a house, because the noise they make and the toys they leave in the yard could lower the value of my house if I decide to sell it to people who don’t like children. Their logic already has created “government-approved� tree and plant lists, roofing material lists, paint color lists, and more. Where does it end? People who want to live in “controlled� neighborhoods
have the freedom to buy homes in private developments with homeowners’ associations, where they voluntarily choose to live under restrictions that make their neighborhoods more homogeneous. But allowing the central planners in government to exercise dominion over us and our pri-
vate property rights – some the most important freedom we have – means we really don have any property rights at a Just ask Paula Anselmo. Contact Brian bgottstein1@yahoo.co
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City council distracted by less important issues
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oanoke City Council Candidates avoid the important issues The Roanoke City Council Mayoral Elections are May 6th. I know who I’m going to support. But, I have to admit that the candidates aren’t talking about the nuts and bolts issues that need to be tackled in Roanoke. These issues aren’t sexy, won’t make people go to the polls on Election Day and are controversial. As a city, we have more important issues to worry about than putting a restaurant on top of Mill Mountain (who cares, as long as it’s done without taxpayer’s money) or building an amphitheatre in a flood zone, which with the possible exception of spending $1 million on a downtown trolley line, is about as dumb an idea as I’ve heard in a long time, especially when City Council says it wants to revitalize downtown. These types of issues only keep our minds off of what really needs to be done in Roanoke.
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Roanoke desperately in a recession? This is needs a new police just bad government. chief. I’ll give you the new Joe Gaskins doesn’t art museum and imhave it - never did, provements to the City never will. Low moMarket. I said ten years rale, high turnover, ago that Roanoke’s man power shortages, downtown should be scandals, manipulated patterned after Washpolice data, bad comington, D.C.’s Georgemunity relations and town if it is going to Jeff Artis survive. There’s a difquestionable police ference between a city tactics are just some of the problems facing the Roanoke government investing in public/ Police Department. Gaskins has private partnerships with obvihad plenty of time to correct these ous mutual benefits for everyone problems. But he hasn’t. Instead, involved and a city government these problems have gotten worse. supporting a private developer for It’s time to show Gaskins the door. the sole purpose of projected tax Why has Roanoke City Council revenue, which in the case of Roabecome the “sugar daddy� for pri- noke City Council, never seems to materialize. Private developvate development? Private development should ers should go to banks for their be just that, private development. investment money, not Roanoke And why is Roanoke City Council City Council. investing in downtown housing There aren’t enough books projects when the housing mar- in our schools for our children, ket has gone belly up and we are haven’t been for years. Teachers,
police and firemen/EMS are underpaid. Roanoke’s infrastructure is old and badly needs repairs. City sidewalks are needed so citizens, especially our children, don’t have to walk in the street in so many of our neighborhoods. We need a quality police sub-station in Northwest Roanoke with proper staffing. The fastest growing industry in Roanoke is the drug trade, with drug gangs bringing contraband into the Roanoke Valley from as far away as Florida, Texas and New York. The business of exploiting illegal aliens is alive and well throughout the Roanoke Valley. No, these issues aren’t sexy. However, these issues are more important than the issues that have been talked about in this election cycle. Let’s hope Roanokers makes the best vote possible. Contact Jeff at jeff@jeffartis.com
Before you move - beware the hounds
ecently, I learned that a young family had purchased my next door neighbor’s home. I will miss our former neighbors; they were a wonderfully patient couple, with an above average tolerance for noise. I am hoping the same holds true for the new brood. Allow me to explain. My home is a ceaseless exporter of sounds. Aside from the endless caravan of boisterous teenagers who frequent my home, there is also my musical son who has chosen the drums to express his appreciation of music. However, neither of the aforementioned disturbances of the peace can match the lilting tones produced by our other family members - four hound dogs named Belle, Shiloh, Roscoe and Mya. Hounds are an appealing blend of comedy, chaos and catastrophe. One has to truly love them to own them. Let me run down the roster for you. Belle, a black and tan coated Bassett Hound, is the senior dog of the group. Most of Belle’s day is spent sleeping or being adored by our two male dogs. Belle must be a pretty hot number in the hound world, as both males, Shiloh and Roscoe, constantly vie for her attention. Shiloh enjoys chewing on Belle’s ears as if they were a raw hide bone, and Belle loves it. I feel almost embarrassed to watch. Roscoe is far more overt in his approach, choosing to French kiss Belle to the point of gagging her. His clumsy romantic attempts are often spurned by Belle, preferring the delicate ear-work of her other admirer.
Stricken with diabetes when Franklin Road. This poor overhe was a pup and nearly blind, wrought pup clings to my wife Shiloh (a skinny beagle-mix) is a like a barnacle, wedging herself stealth-like creature who quietly into the smallest spaces just to be strolls around the house and yard next to “Mommy�. without bumping into a stick of Anyone passing within thirty furniture. His feet of my house bat like sonar is treated to a Jon Kaufman is remarkable! raucous chorus Shiloh could be of barking by our a seeing eye dog for a seeing eye seemingly vicious pack. Those dog. This is not to say that Shiloh who access the alley behind our is void of vision issues. Some- home get the full-on all dog times Shiloh’s failing vision will alert “manhunt� treatment, as place him in a difficult situation. the gang howls and stalks them Lately Shiloh has been mistaking along the fence-line. Roscoe (our male Bassett) for Although each hound is Belle (our female Basset), much unique in its own very endearto Roscoe’s chagrin. These inap- ing way, they all share one compropriate “Brokeback Bassett� mon passion; they all love to moments normally result in a sing. When I say “sing� imagine furious dog-on-dog teeth gnash- a maddening conglomeration ing melee. of yips which could drown out In the Southern vernacular a hotel fire alarm system. Our Roscoe is “dumb as a bag of ham- canine quartet combines two mers�. He is an iron-stomached full-toned Bassett’s providing brute who has eaten everything the bass line, a vigorous Coonfrom a bowl full of potpourri hound baritone and the world’s to an entire box of Nyquil Gel- foremost blind beagle-mix tenor. tabs (some grogginess, slept ‘til Mix these elements together and Tuesday). When Roscoe charges neighbors have been known to through the house, the entire flee the vicinity faster than you edifice shakes like a 6.8 Frisco can say “for sale by owner.� quake. Some people think of This cold-nosed glee club perBassett Hounds as small dogs, forms at all hours of the day and but they are actually big dogs night. When my wife leaves the without the benefit of legs. They house, emotions run high. The are, essentially, a furry ottoman mournful wale of the hounds with floppy ears. creates a kind of bereaved blues Finally, there is Mya our pup- riff. They are sure that she has py Coonhound. Mya is the most abandoned them, never to renervous dog I have ever seen. turn. Seconds later she steps When startled by a loud noise back into the house holding the Mya races through the house, mail and joy is restored to their tail tucked, leaving a wet trail doggy world. in her wake. If my son grabs his To my newest neighbors, aldrumsticks, Mya becomes un- low me to apologize in advance. controllably hysterical, darting If it’s any consolation, I have enaround our living room like a dured this bedlam for years with hell-bent squirrel trying to cross only a slight percentage of hear-
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Seller will pay ALL closing costs 1139 Second Street # 6
/0%. 35. 3ELLER 3EEKING 3ERIOUS /FFER !#2%3 342%!- 7)4( 0/.$
TH #ENTURY -ANOR (OUSE TH #ENTURY ,OG #ABIN CONDO CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN! 'UEST (OUSE
1,099 sq. ft. 2EDUCED
2BRs, dining room, kitchen, bath, screened in porch
$159,950
(AYMAKERTOWN 2D
SQ FT BRICK MANOR HOUSE OPPORTUNITY! INVESTMENT COLUMNED FRONT PORCH SCREENED SIDE PORCH "2S Â "!S ,2 W &0 LIBRARY W &0 $2 W &0
GALLERY KITCHEN HALLWAYS 3MALL FRAME GUEST COTTAGE 0LUS STORY LOG CABIN W STONE FOUNDATION #IRCA GOOD CONDITION 3ITUATED ON ACRES OF ROLLING LAND STREAM MEANDERS THROUGH LAND 3ECLUDED ONE OF THE KIND $)2 ) TO $ALEVILLE %XIT
LEFT ON #ATAWBA 2D TO RIGHT ON (AYMAKERTOWN 2D
Trinkle Avenue 3012, 3022, 3024, 3032 Fully Leased
Sold to settle estate!
ing loss. My nerves, however, DIR: I-81 to Daleville Exit (220), left o 752 Haymakertown Rd. $650,000 are another story. Fortunately, 3188aresq. ft. brick manor house, col- Catawba Rd. (779) to right on Haymak these days, there medications %XT available toumned soothe those front kinds porch, screened side ertown Rd. OR of conditions. Welcome to the porch, 4 BRs, 21â „2 BAs, LR w/ FP, library neighborhood! LeRoy Worley w/ FP,Contact DR w/FP, gallery kitchen, hallJon at 342-3161 Ext. 17 ways. Small frame guest cottage. Plus Jon.Kaufman@sprint.com
,E2OY 7ORLEY
2 story log cabin w/ stone foundation Circa 1790, good condition. Situated on 15.73 acres of rolling land. Stream ď ?ď Żď Źď Šď ´ď Šď Łď Ąď Ź ď ď ¤ď śď Ľď ˛ď ´ď Šď łď Ľď ď Ľď Žď ´ ď ?ď Ąď Šď ¤ ď Śď Żď ˛ ď Ąď Žď ¤ ď ď ľď ´ď ¨ď Żď ˛ď Šď şď Ľď ¤ ď ˘ď š ď ƒď€Ž ď Žď Ľď Źď łď Żď Ž ď ˆď Ąď ˛ď ˛ď Šď ł meanders through land. Secluded, one of the kind. $579,950.
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