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Oyster Farmer Greg Garrett and Shelly Goodman on the government’s intrusion into their business ventures.
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What are you allowed to do when your own property.
One America fewer things all the time.
A woman bought this house hoping to turn into a wedding reception center and bed and breakfast instead it sits there empty.
Because -- local government will not -- or have a business.
Property.
Also want fans started farming these oysters his friends stride and said.
It's -- delicious so we increase production and sold them to others -- now even though he farms the oysters on his own property.
Got seventh state.
Permits and licenses his cronies charged him with illegal -- so here are -- two criminals.
Shelley Goodman -- that empty house Greg Garrett brought -- these oysters so Greg what's the county's problems.
Well they have this zoning ordinance about 450 pages.
And on top -- -- us federal laws they showed before -- and there are state laws and there are city laws and count me 400 pages and so in my case they came up with is zoning ordinance that -- said they could prohibit or.
Or -- to form even though we have the right to have a pig farm.
We have the right to have buffalo farm we can grow -- we can do any type of agriculture and licensed for agriculture and livestock.
Is and we're zones -- like agriculture livestock.
-- -- seemed like less of a threat to the community it and awful not only you know they not a threat they clean the bay Jimmy -- we're in a situation where the -- must between -- and they want cleanup event kind of have to leave the -- Well the -- torture cleans up to fifty gallons of water per day of sea water per day does that tell the -- grows it takes and quarter and spits it back -- and in that.
There's a purification that takes place.
We called the county administrator they say we're not doing anything wrong here's the law and yes he can have livestock he could have courses.
But here's -- he can't have oysters and my very Smart producer talking for twelve minutes.
And still has no clue what the law is or what he's talking about.
And that's the case with a lot of American law.
Well it's it's kind of like -- said it sees in the fair -- -- mean if you have enough laws on the books you can find something that the anybody you wanna accused of a crime.
Where you are accused of doing something wrong.
You -- there is a law out there for you to acceptable.
And so that's kind of what they've done.
And -- it in that statute says in the event a particular use is not listed.
Such use shall not be permitted unless the zoning administrator says it's okay just gives them the power to.
When your life there well that's what I've actually called the China provision actually says that even if it's not listed in this book.
If it's not listed for you -- -- do something when your property and it's not listed in this book.
Even though it is otherwise legal even though it is not prohibited.
The fact that it's not listed in this book means you cannot do it in less than zoning administrator says that you can.
Gives him a lot of power.
Let's forty you -- do you buy.
A big house -- and house.
On ten acres with the idea mean you have your own house you don't -- live there.
Gallon there now.
It's ten acres that's at thirteen thousand square foot house it's really a mansion it's a beautiful property it's really.
Really need to -- You might find it here in the East Coast -- often that inherent -- don't CNN.
Practice or are common here so you wanted to use it is a small in and also have some weddings there and pretty location.
And you just assume he could do that until we knew we had to get especially is coming between -- before we purchased the property avoiding however first.
That property was in foreclosure and so the bank -- -- it and it was dying.
The trees were dying -- landscape was all but dead.
On the house was in disrepair it had a number of breaking and send vandalism.
And what is so at least you -- that we did we -- it yes we rescued it.
And then you move to say.
We want to have -- weddings here and they say no.
Threat because.
Well my name out of the neighbors and we we went through a year and a half with this city appointed staff.
Working on regulations for everything from.
-- 88 restrictions to fire suppression and make sure you know it was safe.
And all of them being hatred traffic study yes three is thousand dollars we had one of become one of the concerns of the -- was that we would increase the traffic.
-- The broad handles 35000 cars a day so that studies said this isn't gonna increase the threat there's no entrance into the property at a and the main.
Thoroughfare key -- growth which is an arterial road he had to have a Sao owned -- what's that.
It -- -- steady we had people come out on a week at holiday weekend at 10 PM.
And do lead baseline.
Sound.
-- level and then they compared that to all of the sound levels of you know hundreds of people talking at one time or.
Cars and.
I -- even more than 3000 yes yes and we talk to when your local councilman -- -- he thinks he's still a good job he's trying so I visited the site twice.
I met with you.
And their lawyer -- they have a lawyer several times I read hundreds of emails we had a five hour meeting.
And then we decided -- -- -- the neighbors but even the fact that you have to gulf rule that says a lot.
You know we worked.
With their staff for a year and a half and we got full approval from the staff.
Full recommendation from then from the cities on staff saying that this -- -- a viable property.
That it was going to make a great business.
And found that we had complied with all of that can then contends that the neighbors.
And the staff.
Regulates those emails and calls from the neighbors they heard all of the opposition as well and so.
To have less than a month with the City Council who makes the final decision.
Was a little that was a little confusing.
And frustrating as well to see that -- then set now.
It's now sitting there empty.
Sitting there and T when ten acres of property where I would think it wouldn't bother other people not.
Presidential candidate George McGovern liberal Democrat after he lost tried to do the same thing started in in Connecticut and it was a shock to him what he had to go through he said.
I wish during my years in public office I had this firsthand experience about the difficulties.
Business people face we are choking off business opportunity.
I mean the presidential candidate that they all should try -- business to see what you go through.
With so many layers of of of regulation I mean the federal government says that.
-- -- -- What I'm doing is agriculture the state says that aquaculture is agriculture it's covered under the Department of Agriculture but think that -- says now say here to tell me his own mind -- and to be able to do agriculture.
But somehow oysters.
Or worse than pigs.
How is that possible.
Thank you Greg Garrett surely Shelly good.
