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Marie
po box 948 BOARD OF SUABRyjSORS
Paradise, CA 95957 F~ ~ ~ 2~~3
(530) 877-1671 ~OV1~, ~F
February 22, 2013 ~ ~~~
Dear Supervisor Teeter,Gtr~c( ~o~"rss• ~~5t,~rul5'~~"~
i am writing to share w#th you the various casts f have Incurred as a result of living next door to a
marijuana grower. First, I live in a residential neighborhood, lots ranging from about 1/4~' to ~ acre. My
marijuana growing neighbor's lot however is 1 ful# acre, the only one acre lot in my ne#ghborhaod.
Driving down the street, houses are still close together like in any city, residential neighborhood. My
neighbor, a marijuana grower, moved in shortly after growing became legal.
living next Boar to a marijuana grower has caused an invasion of my personal rights on many levels.
There is an old adage, "your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins:' The costs I have
endured so my neighbor can grow, are large and numerous. Please see below:
Financial Coss:
• My property is devalued and wi#I be hard to sell. ]t is pretty obvious I live next-door to a big
problem. This is a lass of 10's of thousands of dollars. I have lived here for 20 years, my house is
nearly paid for.
+ loss of retirement income if i retire 9 years early in order to leave California. This will be a loss
of about $1000.00 a month for 12 months a year, for let's say 28 years, for a total of
approximately $ 336,000.
• loss of regular income for leaving my job 9 years earlier than planned as it is unlikely I wou#d
find equivalent work with equivalent pay, in this economy, and at my advanced age.
• Cost of air conditioning at night because f can no longer leave windows open at night due to the
stench of pot and because of dogs barking all night (animas control has not been able to help).
• Cost of running air purifiers in every roam to cover the sound of dogs barking all night and to
help clean the stink out of my home. They do not clean the stink out of my home however.
• Cost of dual pane windows to help keep the smell out, it did not work
• Cost of a petsitter to let my dogs out in the middle of the day while I am at work as I no longer
feet safe letting them outdoors when I am gone.
• Vet bills from my dog being attacked by a rottwefller through my fence
• Cost of metal security bars at the entry way of my home.
• Future cast of insulation and new siding in effort to keep the toxic stink out of my house while [
still need to live here .
Cc ~. `~~.5 ~, ~"~ P.~s, s. ~
• Future cast of an alarm system
Future cost of another firearm for self protection
• Cost of travel out of state to find a safe place to live
• Cost of higher property taxes when I move, a cost 1 will pay for the rest of my life
• Cost of a mortgage payment during retirement when my current house would have been paid
for
l..oss of use of my own property:
• The skunk Tike smell of marijuana far months out of the year is unbearable. As there are several
pot growers in the neighborhood, the smell is so strong I tannot use my awn yard far months
out of the year
• The smell stings my eyes and throat when I go outside in late summer and fall. It causes asthma
attacks and [have to use steroid inhalers and sometimes oral steroids so that E can breathe.
• Lass of the use of my own property because of safety concerns
Health Casts and Health Care Costs
• Cost of the steroid asthma inhalers and oral steroids
• Future health effects of using steroid based medications
• Health effects of living under long-term stress
Being put In cunt#nual personal danger:
+ It is not "Grandma Growing," in my neighborhood and in most neighborhoods. There are
numerous men out everynight, guarding with guns, too few feet from my window. This is not
and exceptional situation, this is the case with many growers.
• Their dogs have attacked people in the street, I drive my dogs to other places to walk them, ills
no longer safe to walk my dogs in my neighborhood. With numerous people with attack dogs #n
and out of the neighbor's home, they just tell the police it was not their dog.
•. Risk of being shat #n the crossfire if someone tries to rob their marijuana and there is a shoat-
out. This is a real threat, it may sound paranoid, but a little research wi#I show you it is
happening all over California.
• Fear of a home invasion as the front of my house looks similar to the grower and mistaking my
house for theirs would be easy. Sound paranoid? This is also happening throughout California.
Mr. Teeter, there are many ordinances which make our neighborhoods peaceful, safe places. Below #s a
list of some things we cannot do in a residential neighborhood like mine, so as to not infringe an other
neighbors rights:
• I cannot Rave a fence aver 6-S feet (not sure which) even though 1 live next door to this.
• I cannot run powertoals before lam and after 7pm so as not to disturb neighbors
• I cannot have more than 3 chickens so as not to disturb neighbors
• I take thyroid medication, but I cannot set up a manufacturing plant an my property because it
would disturb the neighbors.
There and numerous other rules are an the books so as not to infringe on neighbors rights. Yet my
neighbor can come grow pat and grossly infringe on my right to a peacefu# safe home, my financial well-
being tothe tune of.10[Ys of thousands of dollars, ran endanger my personal safety, and can legally
embark in an activity that is harming my health. My right to swing my fist ends where my neighbor's
nose begins. Why is my neighbor legally allowed to swing his Est and,cause me immeasurable harm
personally and financially?
There is not one other activity I can think of, that Is allowed in a residential neighborhood, that is even
2Q9O as disruptive or harmful as what growers are doing to neighborhoods, rural areas, and the
environment throughout this county and state.
• Marijuana growing showld not be allowed in residential neighborhoods at all, ever.
Limiting growth based on parcel size will not work in this county, due the unique way
neighbarhaads are laid out.
• Anyone effected by marijuana growing should be allowed to complain regardless of how far
they live from the grow. Many of my neighbors who are writing you today will no longer be able
to complain because of distance, yet they are affected by the grow.
• Growers should not be able to grow in rural areas and do this to people living there either.
Please consider the following:
Please allow anyone negatively affected by marijuana growing to complain, and complain until
the problems are resolved, not allowing complaint will worsen the problem.
• Please limit marijuana growing to areas zoned for marijuana growth Just like any other
manufacturing ar business activity.
• Please make marijuana growers accountable to adhering to the same environmental safety laws
that any other business must adhere too.
• People who need "medical marijuana," can purchase it just like others have to purchase their
medications, we all struggle to afford our medications, they are no different than us.
• If the county wishes to invite growers into our neighborhoods, please reimburse those of us
leaving the area for the financial and personal costs of such actions.
Thank you for your time, I know it is a long letter, I tried to shorten it but the effects of this problem on
my life are profound and 1 think the board of supervisors should know what working people, who cannot
attend meetings, are going through. Alsn, neither myself or my neighbors would cnme to a meeting
because of fear of retaliation. Again, it is not "grandma growing.
Sincerely ~'
Ma~s~~'L~1