nein51 said:
cowboycwr said:
nein51 said:
They are right. When we bought our farm it had just been parceled. The neighbor bought the pasture in the front and had it placed in a trust with the stipulation that the land never be built on. The people that live out here don't want apartments, they don't want neighbors, they don't want RVs or trailers. If they wanted 6 story apartment complexes they would move to the city, not the small town next door, not the small city 30 miles away…the city.
While what you say is true that is what people want when they move out. But trying to control what is built on other people's land is going too far I think. Especially if it is in the city and not within eyesight of your land which is what sounds like is going on in that story.
I agree. If you don't want the land developed the easy solution is to purchase it and keep it undeveloped. Exactly what my neighbors did. I believe they are up to 2,000 or so acres now.
Problem there is that unless you are wealthy, like what is happening in New Mexico, Colorado and Montana with Hollywood buying massive acreage and preventing the public access, you can't afford the property tax to let land stand fallow. Even at Ag levels, 2000 acres is an expense. Or you can put in public trust. My father in law did that in Wisconsin on a dairy farm for trees. It is now protected and not a tax burden, but future use is off the table.
Where it gets particularly nasty is on the coast. We are seeing what used to be one story beach homes being replaced by multi-lot monstrosities that take up multiple lots and several for "private play". Destroying the view shed for pretty much everyone else. My favorite was on the east coast the owner of Hawaiian Tropic owned two mansions, one to live and one for parties. Some States like California and Hawaii have made beach public owned. The California Coastal Protection Act preserves below the mean high tide mark as public and you can't cut off public access. So, people can still go through your property. CA has done a good job at protecting the coast and their State Parks.
