Rock

The Down Side of Zoning

A while back, my local paper published a story about an application from David Mecca for a variance being sought to build a pool at a home in Watertown. Despite a signed document from four neighbors, supportive of building the pool, one neighbor, David Messina, was opposed to the variance.
He was quoted as saying, in part, “ the luxury of a
16 by 28 foot pool hardly constitutes a desperate need and falls far short of fitting the bill for a special exemption because of hardship. ’’ Really now.
And what is Mr. Messina’s problem? Is he a zealot for enforcing rules? Is there bad blood between the two neighbors ( his property abuts the applicant’s )?
Or perhaps he is just jealous because he can’t afford a pool. Not that it really matters. What matters is that a case like this clearly demonstrates the absurdities and negatives of zoning. As trying as life is on a day-to-day basis, what could be more unfair than to deny a person the right to maximize his pleasure in the privacy of his own home?
Remember the old cliché “ A Man’s Home Is His Castle”? Well, it seems the moat is being overrun by the holier-than-thou, who think they have all the answers as to what’s best for the street, and the neighborhood, and the community-at-large.
I am opposed to zoning for the simple reason that I do not want to be told what to do with my own property, ( especially since I am the one paying the taxes ).
I do, however, recognize the value of one aspect of zoning; ie: no businesses in a residential zone.
Frankly, even that’s subject to a lot of discussion, in my mind; however, another day, another blog.