Middletown Permaculture man sued over tall grass

[Michaelangelica]

I am at a loss to see why long grass is a health hazard. I would have thought longer grass would be better for the environment,air quality, insect diversity, less chemical/ fuel use and soil health.
It seems more likely that it offends our illusion of control over the environment and offends our sense of "neatness"

Middletown man sued over tall grass
Published: Tuesday, September 06, 2011; Last Updated: Tue. Sep 6, 2011, 8:35pm

http://middletownpress.com/articles/...b174888057.txt
By CLAIRE MICHALEWICZ
Press Staff


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MIDDLETOWN – What one man says is an all-natural gardening method has turned into a legal dispute with the city.

Jackson LaRose said he’s trying to let the lawn at his East Main Street home grow naturally to renew the soil, but the city says his lawn is a potential health hazard.

The city’s Health Department has filed for an injunction against LaRose for nearly $120,000 for violating an the city’s housing code. The lawsuit, filed by Health Department Director Joseph Havlicek on Aug. 23, states that LaRose owes the city a fine of $250 per day, dating back to June 2010. The total LaRose owes is now approaching $120,000.

LaRose said he’d be willing to cut his lawn, but the city ordinances don’t contain any guidelines for how it should look.

LaRose, who bought the house in 2009, said he started reading about permaculture online, and became interested in the idea of letting his lawn grow naturally. Permaculture is a type of agriculture modeled on the way ecosystems form without human intervention. By not using chemicals and letting the grass and other plants grow, LaRose said, he can improve the quality of the soil.



Obviously he has environmentally reposnsible neigbours??

" I think the owner is being selfish.
Just put an end to it, respect the properties around you and cut the Damned grass.
If he were my neighbor and happened to be down wind I would burn a car tire everyday. "