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Letter To The Editor

Tuesday November 25, 2008

Shoreham Zoning Bylaws

   As many of you know, I have lived in Shoreham a long time.  My views tend to be quite conservative and I do have the interest of my many friends and neighbors at heart.  I believe in a person’s right to own property and manage it to his or her best ability and interest.  After all, that’s why this great country was established.  Unable to own property unless one was nobility and religious persecution sent our forefathers to crossing an unforgiving sea - spending months fighting hunger and diseases on the way and after arriving here more hunger and disease.

   We have come a long way since those early years of hunger, deprivation, bloodshed and war.  We are so fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world and it is hard to believe there are those who hate America.

   But.  My purpose for writing this note is centered around Shoreham’s proposed new Zoning Bylaws.  We have had zoning quite a few years and I’ve never liked the idea of someone else telling me what I could or could not do with what belongs to me, my family or my neighbors and friends.  It seems that if one pays his or her bills, pays taxes and faithfully takes care of the mortgage, no one should have a right to impose needless restrictions on property that does not belong to them, because of some idea they might have brought with them when they moved to our beautiful state and town.

   The new Bylaws proposed for Shoreham have been in the works for roughly 5 years.  Nearly 60 pages of don’ts and maybe can dos, if you can get permission.  It doesn’t seem right that these so-called bylaws have to be so restrictive as to nearly stop any development at all in town.  Shoreham didn’t get beautiful because of zoning.  “Zoning by owning” theory appeals to most thinking Vermonters - the trouble is there are fewer and fewer Vermonters to demand this theory of our town governments.  

   There are roughly 70 towns in Vermont with No Zoning.  Towns don’t have to have zoning, but if they do, there are certain criteria that must go into the bylaws.  There are many who are not bothered by Zoning (now) but in the future when they want to do something on their property or their children have ideas, then it will occur to them that maybe some attention should have been paid to the problem years earlier.   

   Shoreham is a small town as most Vermont towns are.  We don’t need city ordinances set in stone that tie our hands - or affect our income negatively.  Farmers don’t need more hassles than they already have restricting tenant housing or land use - they are the best judge of matters that affect their lives - as they eke a living from their land.

   I plan to vote “NO” on Dec. 3rd when town folk will be asked to accept or reject the new bylaws.  I would like to send them (bylaws) back to the planners and if they just have to have zoning - then shorten it - simplify it with the idea of having faith in our neighbors to take care of their own affairs without over supervision and restrictions.

   It is my opinion that we tend to be happier with less government, rather than more.  The right to own property is sacred.  Imposing unnecessary restrictions on that property equals a loss of freedom.  If we just accept these bylaws as written, what will they take away next?  The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

Edwin C. James
Shoreham, VT

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