+Woman Faces Jail Time for Garden in Oak Park
Julie Bass told WJBK Fox 2 that she decided to plant the garden in her front yard since organic food was so expensive.
"We thought it'd be really cool to do it so the neighbors could see. The kids love it. The kids from the neighborhood all come and help," she said.
But the City of Oak Park gave Bass a warning and then a ticket – and now has charged her with a misdemeanor.
"That's not what we want to see in a front yard," Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rulkowski told Fox.
The case seems to be headed for a jury trial. The question is over whether or not her property is violating city code which stipulates "suitable, live, plant material." The city planner told Fox that "suitable" is synonymous with "common" – and in most communities that includes a grass yard with trees and flowers.
Source: nydailynews
