Reptile & Amphibian Forums

DAILY HERALD (Provo, Utah) 16 September 04 Home business generating concern (Tammy McPherson)
Since Jeremy Stone was five years old, he has been fascinated with snakes.
That fascination has led to the creation of a home-based business breeding snakes worth thousands of dollars. Each year, the herpetoculturist produces up to 300 rare boa constrictors and ball pythons, and he sells the babies over the Internet for $8,000 and more.
Now the Orem resident is making plans to build his dream home in Lindon, along with a new building on the property to house his snakes. But his plans have been put on hold because of recent neighborhood opposition.
"I'm only here because of snakes, because of their fears," Stone said, adding that many of his current neighbors also have fears of snakes. But, he added, there have never been any complaints about his home-based business because the snakes have never gotten out.
The Lindon City Council will be meeting on Tuesday to consider Stone's plans for his future home and business. They have invited a representative from the Department of Wildlife Resources to talk about what type of regulations might be placed on this type of business.
Lindon Mayor Larry Ellertson said the issue is on hold because city leaders are trying to keep peace in the neighborhood, but they also want to allow Stone to have his property rights.
Many in the Lindon neighborhood signed a petition when they found out a "python ranch" would be moving in on their street. But opposition has died down since Stone explained his business at a neighborhood meeting.
Many had pictured snakes hanging from trees in nets, but he said the neighbors will never see the snakes. He wouldn't let them outside because the snakes are valuable and he's afraid of theft. Stone has bought a high-tech, motion sensor security system for the new building which will call his cell phone if anything comes in or out.
Lindon resident Linda McBride said she was against his reptile business at first because she didn't know what the dangers would be and was upset she hadn't heard anything from the city about the potential new home-based business in her neighborhood.
"I'm OK with it now," she said. "I don't like snakes, either."
Lindon's home business ordinance does not require any neighborhood notification for businesses like Stone's. But because of the concern some of the residents had in this instance, the city leaders will be discussing adding notification to the ordinance.
Though many neighbors have said they are OK with the business now, some still have a issues with the business.
In a recent city meeting, Lindon resident Brad Mortensen said he was concerned that the city had no limit to the number of reptiles they allowed in a residential area, yet they had a set number for many other animals, such as turkeys and cats. He said he was also disturbed about the potential of more businesses coming into the area.
"I'm concerned we're taking a commercial business and putting it in a residential area," he said.
Stone said his proposed business does follow Lindon's home-based business regulations and that there are a number of other businesses in homes in that same neighborhood. He said he thinks the limit on the number of animals should focus more on public health and limited space. The city does not have a limit to the number of guinea pigs or fish one can own, he said.
Home business generating concern

DAILY HERALD (Provo, Utah) 22 September 04 Home-based snake business approved in Lindon (Tammy McPherson)
Though members of the Lindon City Council said Tuesday night they have a phobia of snakes, that didn't stop them from approving a home-based business so a future resident can breed exotic snakes and sell them over the Internet.
Jeremy Stone has been living in Orem for four years and, as a herpetoculturist, has been breeding rare boa constrictors and ball pythons a few blocks away from where he wants to build his dream home in Lindon. He produces up to 300 babies each year -- some of which he sells for more than $8,000 -- and he keeps about 150 breeders.
"It is my hobby, and I've been fortunate enough to turn it into a business," Stone said.
The city put his plans to build his home and a building to house his snakes on hold because of neighborhood opposition. With the business plans approved, Stone will still need to have the council approve his building plans and the city to issue a building permit so he can begin construction.
As a condition of approval, the city leaders said that if Stone ever considers raising rats to feed his snakes, he needs to come back to the city for approval. They also asked that he not operate the business in the new building until he has moved into his home.
"It's the impact of others that we have to be careful of," Mayor Larry Ellertson said.
For a full hour before the meeting, about 15 neighbors expressed their concerns to the council about a python ranch moving in next door.
One woman said she didn't want them getting into her yard. Though the snakes are not venomous, she said they could squeeze a person and she has had family members die from snakes.
To let the snakes out, though, would be a loss in revenue, Stone said.
He has purchased a $12,000 motion-sensored security system that will call his cellular phone if anyone tries to get into the snake building. And all of the cages have locks on them, he said.
"There's no way they can get out," Stone said.
His veterinarian, Dr. Yoeny Dobson, the owner of the Riverwoods Pet Hospital in Provo, said the type of snakes Stone raises could not live outside in Utah for more than two months. This is why the cages are temperature-controlled, she said.
And though the council and neighbors did have concerns about regulations for the snakes, Dobson explained that because he was selling them primarily to those outside of the state or country, he had to get a permit before shipping them. That permit came only after the snakes got a physical examination from herself or another veterinarian, she said.
Home-based snake business approved in Lindon