Via Leelanau.com: National Park Proposes Tunnel to the Lake Michigan Overlook
A tunnel through the sand dune so people can drive to the view on the other side? Unbelievable. I was recently in Boulder, CO and hiked a trail that was crowded with kids, dogs, and senior citizens; and it was a strenuous hike. No one there was asking for a tunnel through the mountain for a better view.
The document and commenting options are here: Lake Michigan Overlooks Environmental Assessment
I'm surprised to read that the NPS favors Option D, the tunnel, and rejected the idea to close the Outlooks completely.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Chickens And The Michigan Right To Farm Act
Just like Ann Arbor, it looks like Traverse City will have to allow chickens.
See R-E: Chickens coming home to roost in TC?
The Michigan Right To Farm Act, passed in 1981, is the savior here. And it has been cited before by Michiganders who defended their right to live a simpler, traditional life.
See:
-Ann Arbor City Chickens and the Michigan Right to Farm Act
-Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?
-Kurt Schindler answers 'Is Agriculture Subject to Zoning'
See R-E: Chickens coming home to roost in TC?
City Attorney Karrie Zeits researched and discovered the Michigan Right to Farm Act prohibits cities from banning commercial farming, including raising chickens, she said.
The Michigan Right To Farm Act, passed in 1981, is the savior here. And it has been cited before by Michiganders who defended their right to live a simpler, traditional life.
See:
-Ann Arbor City Chickens and the Michigan Right to Farm Act
-Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?
-Kurt Schindler answers 'Is Agriculture Subject to Zoning'
Our best understanding at this time:
To fall under the RTFA [Right To Farm Act] the operation must be (1) an agricultural use (read "agricultural use" in the broadest possible context, e.g., a corn maze, renting horses, are agricultural uses) (2) commercial, even to the smallest extent, as in "sell one egg", and (3) involves "harvesting" (but read "harvesting" in the broadest possible context, e.g., a hunting preserve, where animals are shot for sport, is "harvesting").
If it is agriculture that falls under RTFA, then zoning can not restrict the activity, can not say it is not allowed in a particular zoning district. That means agriculture is allowed in a residential district
Friday, May 22, 2009
Can't Stop Chicken Progress
NPR: Backyard Coops Make Chicks Chic
"When we go to cities, a lot of times we'll ask them, 'Why don't you want your citizens to lead a more self-sustaining lifestyle? Why don't you want your citizens to save some money in this hard economic time by allowing them to raise backyard poultry?'" Schneider says. "And I'm telling you, Animal Control, I'm sure, gets way more calls from barking dogs and dogs running loose and cats than they ever have from backyard poultry."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Revisiting Dams And Hydropower
Traverse City is undoubtedly doing the right thing by removing the upper Boardman River dams. Having dams on a blue-ribbon trout stream hurts the river's quality. Yet the world also needs renewable energy sources.
To begin looking at this seeming dichotomy, American Rivers has released a framework document titled Hydropower Dams in an Era of Global Warming. The principles for judging existing dams are:
To begin looking at this seeming dichotomy, American Rivers has released a framework document titled Hydropower Dams in an Era of Global Warming. The principles for judging existing dams are:
- Increase efficiency at existing hydropower dams
- Consider adding hydropower capacity to existing dams
- Uphold environmental safeguards
- Hold hydropower developers responsible for dam safety
- Recognize that dams have finite lifespans
- Judge dams on their impacts, not on their size
Ducking The Chicken Issue
The anti-chicken sentiment is still riling me up.
Neighborhood cats eats birds. Dogs are allowed to poop in my yard by their owners. Ducks block traffic on city streets. Yet the Record-Eagle wants to worry about roosting chickens in Traverse City neighborhoods?
More from The Atlantic: Why Backyard Chickens Are a Trend
Neighborhood cats eats birds. Dogs are allowed to poop in my yard by their owners. Ducks block traffic on city streets. Yet the Record-Eagle wants to worry about roosting chickens in Traverse City neighborhoods?
More from The Atlantic: Why Backyard Chickens Are a Trend
...chicks are getting hard to come by in Austin. Our local feed store, Callahan's General Store, now sells out of a thousand chicks a week, as there is a "boom" in interest in backyard chicken flocks...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Traverse City Chickens
(5/18/2009 Update - Article in the Washington Post: Hot Chicks: Legal or Not, Chickens Are the Chic New Backyard Addition)
Article in the Record Eagle: Residents want to raise chickens in TC
The Record Eagle then followed up with an uninformed editorial that was too cute by half: Raising chickens or feathers?
Here are their arguments and my responses:
City officials will review the legality of chicken ranching before they turn to the planning commission for review. But expect to see feathers fly if anyone in a position of authority takes Dante's plan seriously.
Elizabeth Whelan, president of Boardman Neighborhood Association, hopes the chicken ranch plan never hatches, and predicts "a lot of potential problems that we don't need" if it flies.
What problems city chickens may cause are not listed or discussed and thus this comes across as people just being afraid of change.
Other residents worry about noise, smell and wayward feathers
An ordinance that only allowed hens would address the noise issue. People who worry about the smell have no idea what they are talking about. Plus, the new city master plan would address this issue because all uses must be confined to the business - so if there were smells noticeable off-site then this would be in violation of zoning.
However, the smell from the wastewater treatment plant is worse and is noticeable on days when the wind is from the east or south.
Ann Arbor is among the cities across the U.S. that allow residents to keep a few fowl, as long as wannabe hen-housers follow the rules. But expect much clucking if a similar ordinance is pitched here. Rightly so, in our book.
And is it any wonder that Ann Arbor makes so many "best city" lists?
Examples:
-Ann Arbor chosen top Michigan city for small start-up companies
-The 100 best places to raise a family
-CNNMoney.com Best Places To Live
Another interesting coincidence is how many of these "best cities" are also places that allow the freedom of backyard poultry.
Some ideas perfectly dovetail with a community's mood and attitude. And Traverse City shouldn't be so rigid that it can't or won't accept alternative notions. But raising chickens, ducks, etc. raises too many unnecessary questions and concerns -- what happens if someone's dog kills a neighbor's chickens? What if a freedom-seeking fowl dashes into the street and a harried motorist swerves to miss the bird? What if the sky really does fall?
What happens now if a dog kills a neighbors cat; if a dog runs into the road? Seriously - this is your anti-chicken argument?
And isn't Traverse City proper known as a progressive community with a love for local foods? What is more local than fresh eggs from your backyard?
Really, there's no good reason to prohibit people from keeping hens in their backyards. It is not as if people are trying to revive the idea of riding their horse around town.
Unfortunately, it seems the only chickens in Traverse City are the Record Eagle and the same old tired neighborhood curmudgeons.
Get the facts, cities from urban Brooklyn to rural Kansas are embracing the idea of urban farming. For more information see:
Newsweek: The New Coop de Ville: The craze for urban poultry farming.
USA Today: Chickens given roosts in urban backyards
LoHud.com: Backyard chickens find new popularity in suburbia
Christian Science Monitor: Whole lotta clucking going on in cities
Article in the Record Eagle: Residents want to raise chickens in TC
The Record Eagle then followed up with an uninformed editorial that was too cute by half: Raising chickens or feathers?
Here are their arguments and my responses:
City officials will review the legality of chicken ranching before they turn to the planning commission for review. But expect to see feathers fly if anyone in a position of authority takes Dante's plan seriously.
Elizabeth Whelan, president of Boardman Neighborhood Association, hopes the chicken ranch plan never hatches, and predicts "a lot of potential problems that we don't need" if it flies.
What problems city chickens may cause are not listed or discussed and thus this comes across as people just being afraid of change.
Other residents worry about noise, smell and wayward feathers
An ordinance that only allowed hens would address the noise issue. People who worry about the smell have no idea what they are talking about. Plus, the new city master plan would address this issue because all uses must be confined to the business - so if there were smells noticeable off-site then this would be in violation of zoning.
However, the smell from the wastewater treatment plant is worse and is noticeable on days when the wind is from the east or south.
Ann Arbor is among the cities across the U.S. that allow residents to keep a few fowl, as long as wannabe hen-housers follow the rules. But expect much clucking if a similar ordinance is pitched here. Rightly so, in our book.
And is it any wonder that Ann Arbor makes so many "best city" lists?
Examples:
-Ann Arbor chosen top Michigan city for small start-up companies
-The 100 best places to raise a family
-CNNMoney.com Best Places To Live
Another interesting coincidence is how many of these "best cities" are also places that allow the freedom of backyard poultry.
Some ideas perfectly dovetail with a community's mood and attitude. And Traverse City shouldn't be so rigid that it can't or won't accept alternative notions. But raising chickens, ducks, etc. raises too many unnecessary questions and concerns -- what happens if someone's dog kills a neighbor's chickens? What if a freedom-seeking fowl dashes into the street and a harried motorist swerves to miss the bird? What if the sky really does fall?
What happens now if a dog kills a neighbors cat; if a dog runs into the road? Seriously - this is your anti-chicken argument?
And isn't Traverse City proper known as a progressive community with a love for local foods? What is more local than fresh eggs from your backyard?
Really, there's no good reason to prohibit people from keeping hens in their backyards. It is not as if people are trying to revive the idea of riding their horse around town.
Unfortunately, it seems the only chickens in Traverse City are the Record Eagle and the same old tired neighborhood curmudgeons.
Get the facts, cities from urban Brooklyn to rural Kansas are embracing the idea of urban farming. For more information see:
Newsweek: The New Coop de Ville: The craze for urban poultry farming.
USA Today: Chickens given roosts in urban backyards
LoHud.com: Backyard chickens find new popularity in suburbia
Christian Science Monitor: Whole lotta clucking going on in cities
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