Yurts stir controversy in small town

[Dustin]

I found this interesting news article about yurts popping up in Boulder, Utah:
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640195359,00.html

Basically, it's the "I don't like your little hippie house and it might reduce my property values." NIMBY attitude going on.

Boulder is pretty small and rural. I'm not sure why people should care what the heck people are living in.

[bil2054]

I guess I can understand towns requiring some adherence to building codes, (sigh), but I think you, Dustin, and the people in the article are right; it is just a reason to exclude "those people".  When, for instance, are municipalities going to move out of the Middle ages and accept composting types of toilets?  They are well proven and well accepted in much of the world, but the old song still goes on:  'Ya cain't live thar lessen ya got a flush terlet'.  And how do they come up with the idea that yurts are inherently "smelly"?
I hope these goonies are still around to explain to folks why there's so little drinkable water left where it ought to be.

[Pala]

When, for instance, are municipalities going to move out of the Middle ages and accept composting types of toilets?

I don't know if you were intending to be ironically humorous.  But I had to giggle at that statement.

Regardless, I also agree that more folks should have a live-and-let-live attitude.  If someone wants to live in a tent, seems like that's their choice.  Existing codes should adequately address fire, life and saftey issues.

"The nail that sicks out, gets pounded down."  

[jwv]

Building officials (and the general public) would rather you build a huge resource consuming monstrosity without regard to  natural systems and then whine and complain and put restrictions on lawn watering and washing cars.  Masters at closing the barn door.... [smiley=angry.gif]

Judy

[Texan lost in cali]

That sucks. Why cant you live any way you want to on your own land?

[Amanda_931]

Waynesboro--the county seat--has a major water problem every summer.  And a lot of old houses that use OLD water-wasting toilets.

The big idea for a solution is to put a big reservoir somewhere up in this end of the county.  Not quite damming the longest undammed river in the state.  The (money drawing) tourist attraction here along with the Natchez Trace (where people may not get off in the county at all).  And that reservoir will silt up beyond belief, don't know in how many years.  If you wonder where the Dust Bowl went, it was here

So for me the question is not how long until they allow composting toilets, but how long before they mandate them.

The spring I draw water from is just about dry, essentially no stream coming out of it right now, although with the last inch of rain I filled up a couple of three-gallon bottles.  We've had a fair amount of rain this summer, but not enough to completely recharge the aquifer since last fall.  No series of minor floods, for instance.