Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Oklahoma City continues to persecute my poor urban garden area

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bob Waldrop <bob@bobwaldrop.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Oklahoma City continues to persecute my poor urban garden area
  • Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 21:40:09 -0500

I don't know how much fun this will be but at least a lawyer friend of mine is offering to represent me pro bono. He will be out of town for the hearing but he says "get everything in writing, if it goes against you, appeal to the City Council and we'll go for a lawsuit".

Thanks for your support. Email the mayor, please, mayor@okc.gov.

Here is the text of my appeal:

APPEAL OF CODE VIOLATION

To: Director, Development Services Department, Oklahoma City
From: Robert Waldrop, 1524 NW 21, OKC OK 73106, 405-200-8155, bob@bobwaldrop.net
Re: Case #s C-15-28719 and C15-29522
Date: May 22, 2015

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 35, of the Oklahoma City Municipal Code, as cited I hereby contest the determination that a nuisance exists at my property.

On May 19th, I was served with a notice of two violations. One of them I understand (the trees obstructing the sidewalk) and will abate.

But the second, tall grass and weeds, I contest. The morning before the notice was served, we had trimmed all of the grass on the property. So I am assuming that the notice is attempting to state that my garden on the west side of my house contains “tall grass and weeds” when in fact, it is entirely composed of beneficial, useful, and edible plants and is cultivated by me for the use of my own personal household and to provide ecological services to the area, particularly, in support of the bee and butterfly population. Plants growing in this area include:

Jerusalem artichokes
Comfrey
Blueberries
Blackberries
Oregano
Walking Onions
Nanking cherries
Prairie roses
Maximilien sunflowers
Liatris
Butterfly weed
Butterfly bush
Yarrow
Native sunflowers
Scarlett runner bean
Loofa vine
Morning glories
Cannas
Delphinium
Eupatoria
Lambs ears
Hollyhocks
Prickly pear
Hairy vetch
White Dutch clover
Ornamental grasses
Pole beans
Alfalfa
Daylilies
Buffalo currants
spearmint
Crimson clover

My position is that I am perfectly within my constitutional rights to grow these plants at that location and that there is no “tall grass or weeds” on my property, based on my understanding of the relevant city ordinances, with which I have some experience. This garden is an expression of my personal political and religious and ethical beliefs and I will vigorously defend my rights to publicly advocate for organic, natural, ecological systems within urban neighborhoods by “practicing what I preach.”

Furthermore, no one has ever stopped and said, “Bob, your yard is ugly.” But it is a rare time that I am working in the yard, that someone does not stop and say, “You have the most beautiful and interesting yard in this area.” The bees and butterflies also appear to appreciate the flowers.

Regarding the trees obstructing the sidewalk and street, my assumption is that I need to trim the trees overhanging the curb back to the curb, and the trees overhanging the side so that they do not obstruct people walking down the sidewalk. My understanding is that it is fine for trees to shade the sidewalk, as long as they do not obstruct people walking under them. That seems to be the case based on the practice elsewhere in the Gatewood neighborhood, and if my neighbors have the right to have their trees shade the sidewalk, which I for one greatly appreciate when I go for walks in the summer, then I also have that right. But I agree my trees or bushes should not hit people's heads, and have already begun to deal with that. If your interpretation is something other than this, we will have to also talk about this.

I regret having to file an appeal, but the same day I received the complaint I called and left a message for the enforcement officer. Unfortunately four days have passed and she has not seen fit to return my call, so given my previous experience with poor communications with code enforcement officers, I am proceeding directly to the appeal to protect all of my rights in this matter.


Bob Waldrop, Okie City

On 5/22/2015 5:19 PM, Steve Hart wrote:
Goood shit Bob..have fun. You could ask them if they own the verge or are
just the caretakers ? And, caretakers for who ? If they say they own it,
ask them for the certificate of title. then ask them to show you the
receipt for buying it. If they offer one ask them to prove the lawful
validty of the receipt as well as the lawful validity of the title. Perhaps
go further and ask which Indian Tribe they purchased it off ?

Have fun

Steve Hart

On 23 May 2015 at 08:59, Bob Waldrop <bob@bobwaldrop.net> wrote:

Oklahoma City Code Enforcement is claiming that I can't have anything
taller than 18 inches between the sidewalk and the street. The guy cited
"Section 59" of the Municipal Code, but refused to give a paragraph or
subsection number. This is brand new. I have 16 years of experience with
code enforcement and this is the first time anyone has made this claim.

So I am appealing the order and will have a hearing on June 2nd at 2 PM.

You would think people have better things to do than persecute me for
growing ... welll. . . here's the list of plants growing in that section of
my lawn. Also some pictures. Obviously I am a demented and evil person for
doing this, lol.

The mayor's email is mayor@okc.gov if you want to let him know what you
think about this kind of persecution.

Bob Waldrop, Oklahoma City

Jerusalem artichokes
Comfrey
Blueberries
Blackberries
Oregano
Walking Onions
Nanking cherries
Prairie roses
Maximilien sunflowers
Liatris
Butterfly weed
Butterfly bush
Yarrow
Native sunflowers
Scarlett runner bean
Loofa vine
Morning glories
Cannas
Delphinium
Eupatoria
Lambs ears
Hollyhocks
Prickly pear
Hairy vetch
White Dutch clover
Ornamental grasses
Pole beans
Alfalfa
Daylilies
Buffalo currants
Crimson clover

Here are some pictures of the abundance Oklahoma City wants to destroy!

bobs urban garden 1okc urban 2okc urban 3okc urban 4

--
http://www.ipermie.net How to permaculture your urban lifestyle and adapt
to the realities of peak oil, economic irrationality, political
criminality, and climate instability..

_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.orgubscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
message archives: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture
message archive mirrors:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/permaculturelist
http://permacultureforum.blogspot.com
http://permaculturelist.wordpress.com
Google message archive search:
site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture [searchstring]
Permaculture Institute USA http://permaculture.org
How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
http://www.ipermie.net
Avant Geared https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech
pioneers practicing and teaching permaculture
while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with integrated
elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
nature-compatible
human habitat --




--
http://www.ipermie.net How to permaculture your urban lifestyle and adapt to
the realities of peak oil, economic irrationality, political criminality, and
climate instability..





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page