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DAILY HERALD (Provo, Utah) 27 July 07 Poll: Should snake farm be approved?
Dan Sutherland, the snake farm owner who's been trying to move his business to Mapleton, has been mistreated by officials and residents of that city and deserves an apology -- as well as the permit he needs.
He wants to move his snakes to property he owns on South Main Street. It's zoned for agricultural use -- including "breeding and raising of exotic animals" -- and he has agreed to a long list of conditions to ensure that his snake farm won't bother the neighbors.
Recently, though, the Mapleton City Council affirmed a narrow decision to deny the conditional use permit Sutherland has been seeking.
Neighbors' concerns about property values spiked the permit. An appraiser's study found that the snake farm wouldn't bring down property values, but could -- could -- cause properties to stay on the market longer before selling at full price.
Even Mapleton's city manager said the effect was "unquantifiable." As such, it shouldn't be used to keep a property owner and businessman from using his land in a responsible, legal manner.
Sutherland plans to appeal the city's decision to state court. There is reason to think he will prevail. In addition to the appraiser's report, the state property rights ombudsman weighed in -- and he said the permit should be granted.
The conditions contained in the permit "will mitigate the impact of the proposed use on the value of neighboring property owners," the ombudsman's report states. "Since the negative aspects of the proposed use can be mitigated ... the application must be approved."
Sutherland sells ball pythons and boa constrictors over the Internet. The barns he has built on the Mapleton property would house about 1,500 snakes, as well as baby rats and mice to feed them.
Right now, he operates in an industrial park in Spanish Fork. Other tenants there have submitted affidavits that his business is clean, odor-free and safe.
He's also got the endorsement of a California appraiser who looked at home sales data during the time that Sutherland's operation was in Palmdale, Calif.
"Your reptiles and rodents held on your property over the past 10 years absolutely had zero affect/impact on marketability and market values of homes in the neighborhood," the appraiser wrote in a letter provided by Sutherland's lawyer.
It is not a store-front business, so there shouldn't be any traffic to bother neighbors. And while there would be a lot of snakes, apparently they're quite secure -- the animal cages, for example, reportedly survived the 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Northridge, Calif. in 1994.
As long as Sutherland abides by requirements regarding odor, animal waste, security and monitoring, there seems to be little reason for Mapleton to ban the snake farm.
In fact, if snakes are ever allowed to move in, people might not even know they're there.
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What do you think?
Should Dan Sutherland be approved for a snake farm in Mapleton? Send your comments to dhpolls@heraldextra.com or call 344-2942. Please leave your name, hometown and phone number with your comments. E-mail comments should not exceed 100 words; voice-mail comments should be no longer than 30 seconds. Anonymous and unverifiable responses will not be published.
The Daily Herald will publish comments on Aug. 5.
Poll: Should snake farm be approved?

Well it sounds, at least, like things are finally starting to go their way. Good luck you two.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I hope they sue the city and recoup some/all of their damages.

You will be in your new place real soon.
I also hope they sue the city.

Hi Dan and Colette,
also good luck here from Germany. This world is crazy.
stefan broghammer

Any one can make comments just give them your information Name, Hometown & phone number. I am sure the other side will be sending in as much bad reports as they can. Thanks for the support it has been a long road. We are mostly quiet about everything as you have noticed since they are watching our site for updates and could even be watching here so that is why we have not said much and our news page is sitting there with not much for the last year. Look forward to seeing everyone at the shows where we can really talk.

Thanks

Dan & Colette

I plan on writing in.

But in the mean time, Good luck, Dan and Colette.
I know it must be a complete pain, and I wish you all the best.

See you at the show!
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www.HeathersHerps.com

-Ohh, what a Lady-

Balls for Life, Baby!

Dear Ball Python People;

I try not to 'editorialise' when I post items due to my lack of expertise with the critters in most of the specialist Forums ... however, perhaps the forum will indulge me as a 'educated amateur' with 10,000 herp-related press clippings.

Yes, respond, in writing, to the newspapers invitation for comment. If you don't ... they and their customers will only be able to read the comments of people that do write. However ... please keep in mind that there is no way to guarentee that the journal concern will select and subsequently 'post' your comment.

More importantly ... your comment should be short, relevent to a specific concern ... and ... polite (i.e. professional). I've seen some terrible examples of herpers zapping something while in the throes of unbrage ... only to have their heated note reprinted by a paper as 'indicative' of the herper community's lack of maturity.

If I may:
1. Keep it short so it can't be 'edit-ed' (and possibly taken out of context).
2. Express your concern as an experienced and educated herper, and mother/father with herps, etc (you catch my drift)
3. Keep it on one (maybe two) point(s). Describe the problem and then refute it or offer a solution. Then stop! (See editing above)
4. Stay polite.
5. 6-8 sentences should do it...
a. Dear Editor: As a herp-keeper, I am concerned with the recent city initiative to ... (make your comment relative to you as a person!)
b. The fear that/of XXXXXX is not realistic in that XXXX. In my experience XXXXX.
c. As I have described, the city council could still meet their safety concerns while allowing a legitimate business to proceed by xxxx. (Make your comment relevent to the concerns of 'other' people)
d. Thank you for your attention and I hope that these facts will go someway to mitigating city councils concerns about xxxx.
e. Yours truly;

Please note, I'm in no way saying that my modest offering is the only way to go, however, my experience with press items is that if you can follow the offered guidance above, you will have a good chance of being written up ... assuming that there is no specific journal agenda (usually there is not in the larger papers ... they tend to be even handed ... if somewhat tilting towards printing the most ... ummm ... picturesque letters from their readers).

Write.
It takes you maybe 10 minutes to write 6-8 good lines about something that you know and feel passionately about.
Let the note sit for 30 minutes ... come back to it. If it's still good, send it.

Good luck all;
Here's a modest opportunity to demonstrate herper professionalism to the public.

More importantly though, it's a chance to demonstrate concrete support for people that this Forum obviously holds in high esteem and affection.

respectfully;
Wes
Your Newt-keeping, Ball Python-friendly Forum paperboy

np
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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid" David Coverdale

There is also a Poll on the Home Page of the Daily Herald. If you follow the link and then click on home at the top of the page you may select a yes or no opinion about the Snake Farm.

n/p

DR

Suboc.com

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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Everyone that reads this should post to the poll and should also let any of their friends that are herp enthusients post to the poll also. Get the word out.
As a fellow Utahn, I find that the reaction by Mapleton is completely askew. People who are letting their instintual fears get the better of them. The land is zoned for Ag. The Sutherlands should be able to do almost anything they want with the land.
Everyone please join in on the poll.

Everyone needs to get behind this and send in comments. Remember this could be you next!!! Don't sit back and let this happen to Dan and Collette. They have spent tons of money fighting for what will be in everyones best interest if they win. Keep up the fight guys, I'll be happy to help in anyway that I can. Brian (BHB)

Good luck Dan and Colette, I wish you all the best!!!

Gerlinde
www.royalsnakes.com

I would move somewhere else and make the city pay the $600000 PLUS that he is out for the property and say that they should pay because the value should still be the same due to NO snakes being there........I would move to a state that likes them for what they are, not forced to take them.......

...........there are alot of farms available at cheaper prices........even a farm where they could make a huge pile of mouse waste and noone would care.......saves disposal fees.....trust me........my trash bill alone is over 3 times normal housholds'.......

.......do as they wish...GOOD LUCK.........

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Link to the Letters that the paper chose to print ....

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/231698/3/
(Letters) Mapleton snake farm