Thursday, March 4, 2010

Guy buys 80 acres, wants to farm...

King county is the county directly south of me, about 10 miles away. King county has the reputation, deservedly so, of being the most hostile to rural landowners and farmers. Snohomish county is #2 on that list.

Quotes from an article in the Seattle Times:

"...Steve Capeder wanted to be a farmer in King County. An Issaquah native, he spent the first half of his career in Florida as a builder-developer. He is 42, a fitness buff and supporter of organic food. Two and a half years ago, he bought 89 acres of hillside and bottomland in the Snoqualmie Valley, with a plan for a farm. Now he plans to sell."

"To pave a driveway, the blueprint — one sheet — cost $1,000. The county, which funds its permit department through fees, wanted $22,000 to review the one sheet. Capeder hired a lawyer, and they settled for $10,000."

Sounds like my situation. I've spent about $60k on various issues with various agencies, and I'm still not done.

You can read the whole story here. Check the comments out.

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