Can someone explain, without David Hill-esque propagandizing, what the problem is, or what the State’s objection is? The website isn’t working and I can’ tell
mike omalley said:In short the county I belive thinks that they have a amuziment ride on there land and that is not what the land is to be used for. There for they need to get verances to be able to keep there railroad.
Can someone explain, without David Hill-esque propagandizing, what the problem is, or what the State's objection is? The website isn't working and I can' tell
Now, that is the very short version. The county has done some other stuff and it seems everytime the owners get that cleared up they come up with something new to get them on. I belive the state and feds were ok with it, seeing a land swap took place when they bought the place. So it just seems its a local thing.
Disclamer. All of the above is from what I could remember from reading on the website and can not be used in a court of law or to try and make me look foolish.
Hope that helps Mike.
mike omalley said:We have talked about this before. The county says the railroad is built on wetlands. The couple has done much work to restore the wetlands and improve the habitat for wildlife. Ralph
Can someone explain, without David Hill-esque propagandizing, what the problem is, or what the State's objection is? The website isn't working and I can' tell
Geoff George said:mike omalley said:In short the county I belive thinks that they have a amuziment ride on there land and that is not what the land is to be used for. There for they need to get verances to be able to keep there railroad.
Can someone explain, without David Hill-esque propagandizing, what the problem is, or what the State's objection is? The website isn't working and I can' tellNow, that is the very short version. The county has done some other stuff and it seems everytime the owners get that cleared up they come up with something new to get them on. I belive the state and feds were ok with it, seeing a land swap took place when they bought the place. So it just seems its a local thing.
Disclamer. All of the above is from what I could remember from reading on the website and can not be used in a court of law or to try and make me look foolish.
Hope that helps Mike.
Geoff,
It seems that the usual suspects can use anything that you write, no matter how sensible, to try to make you look foolish. The thing is, they can’t do it without your permission. 
You have it about right. I can’t think of anything to add or subtract from your answer. For some reason, the county has an issue with this model railroad. Whoever said that the problem started when the Boy Scouts had their Camporee is probably right. I was a Scouter for 15 years, and while most of the Scouters that I met were the sort that you can trust with your life, there are some sneaky bstrds in the organization, too, sad to say.
The only issues I see from the standpoint of a retired Zoning Officer is permits were not applied for to construct the structure. In the owner’s defense, what is the limit in the ordinances of the allowable “scale” of these type of rrs? If this is illegal, is a G-scale rr also illegal.
Applying for the proper permits for the concrete structures with the municipality and with the state’s DEP should resolve this issue for them. A good property attorney could easioly resolve this for them, I would believe. The Zoning Officials are all residents and neighbors, and usually not that nasty. The state or the fed with the waterway is another issue.
Terry,
I dropped Ray a note suggesting he contact the “Little People Show” producers and invite them over. Also, even though I disagree with a lot of their issues, to contact the ACLU because the “public servants” of Lane County are possibly infringing on his rights as a private land owner. Ray wrote back the the producers of the Little People Show are on the way and that he will contact the ACLU. In so far as being built on wetlands, the man restored a much abused and neglected property to where wildlife has returned to be enjoyed by all. Sometimes it takes a big dose of public embarrassment and being made to look very stupid to get the bureaucrats to go away. We are trying to do just that with a developer over in Delaware who is about to destroy British redoubts and trenches dug by General Howe’s troops in the battle of Cooch’s Bridge which preceded the battle of the Brandywine. These emplacements have been left undisturbed for over 230 years and this idiot wants to build houses on them. It is his property now, but he is threating to destroy a very significant part of our National history. Far too many of our Revolutionary War sites are already gone forever. You can never let your guard down.
Noel
While I really do have sympathy for those folks, I suppose the rules were stretched or not followed as we do have some strong zoning requirements here in ORE-Gun. I paid dearly for permits just to finish off the other loft. Permit for a spiral staircase going up into the loft and permit for some minor wiring plus the things I would have to do like raising the floor inch and a half. Lucky for me, permits were not required for anything else but I would have paid than have a hassle with the county zoning. I could have done everything without permits but ! I am not a gambler.
What can they do now? Well, for one, get variances and permits plus pay the fees. Second, pray a lot.
I hope things do work out for them and most likely will as there might be some negotiating.
ORE-gun land of changeable weather like an inch of snow this morning. Let’s see, we have had heavy rains with flooding, three feet of snow two months ago, 75+ miles an hour winds but the ground hasn’t shook YET.
Size not with standing ,how in the world can this not be a “hobby” rail road? I believe that the IRS states that for anything to be a business It must make a profit inside of five years. I doubt if the fine people involved have done anything but spend money on construction for over 10 years now…definitly not a business…
Mark
Mark Robason said:
Size not with standing ,how in the world can this not be a "hobby" rail road? I believe that the IRS states that for anything to be a business It must make a profit inside of five years. I doubt if the fine people involved have done anything but spend money on construction for over 10 years now....definitly not a business....Mark
Mark, having been there, walked the line, played with the trains, and gotten soaked [what else] for my sins, I can tell you quite candidly that half a million would prolly not make much of an impression on the cost of this railroad.
Get on to the web-site, and look at the humungous trestle for a start - that item is built like the full-size structure, and, trust me, with a precision that is uncanny. Laying a line along the bents and sighting it there is not a millimeter of deviation anywhere in it.
The steamer is in the shop at Brooklyn Yard, along with #700 and #4449, and last time I saw it was coming on a treat. I’ll let YOU imagine how much an 18" gauge live steam mogul or prairie - I disremember which it is - would cost out of your train funds.
Not a penny of that cost has been paid by anybody except the Robinsons.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
<<I dropped Ray a note suggesting he contact the “Little People Show” producers and invite them over>>
You’re not talking about the Roloff family, are you?
Just the opposite should happen. No one should be invited over there. They don’t need the exposure.
John Bouck said:
<>You’re not talking about the Roloff family, are you?
Just the opposite should happen. No one should be invited over there. They don’t need the exposure.
Nossir - this is the Robinsons of Deadwood, Lane County, Oregon.
Anyhow, now that we have just about had all the responses to this thread that can reasonalby be expected, and after have five responses so far from the scad of gubmint officials of one hue or another that I contacted, I have nothing more to add, except to thank you for your support.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Noel Crawford said:Thanks for that, Noel, and for your e-mail - I've written one back to you with Bill Fleenor's response and my original letter on it, just so's you can see what I had to spoge on the subject.
Terry, I dropped Ray a note suggesting he contact the "Little People Show" producers and invite them over. Also, even though I disagree with a lot of their issues, to contact the ACLU because the "public servants" of Lane County are possibly infringing on his rights as a private land owner. Ray wrote back the the producers of the Little People Show are on the way and that he will contact the ACLU. In so far as being built on wetlands, the man restored a much abused and neglected property to where wildlife has returned to be enjoyed by all. Sometimes it takes a big dose of public embarrassment and being made to look very stupid to get the bureaucrats to go away. We are trying to do just that with a developer over in Delaware who is about to destroy British redoubts and trenches dug by General Howe's troops in the battle of Cooch's Bridge which preceded the battle of the Brandywine. These emplacements have been left undisturbed for over 230 years and this idiot wants to build houses on them. It is his property now, but he is threating to destroy a very significant part of our National history. Far too many of our Revolutionary War sites are already gone forever. You can never let your guard down. Noel
Best
tac
www.ovgrs.org