Idaho Mountain Express: Tenting out in Bellevue

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Tenting out in Bellevue

City cracks down on off-the-grid structures

By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

Life just got a bit more challenging for anyone hoping to live off the grid in a tipi in downtown Bellevue.

The City Council passed an ordinance change last week that prohibits the use of canvas, vinyl and similar materials in the building of walls for permanent residences in the city. These materials are often used for tipis, yurts and tents, the preferred dwellings of modern nomads.

"I received calls recently from three people asking if they can live in the city limits off the radar of Idaho Power Co. and without city sanitation services," said Bellevue Planning and Zoning Administrator Craig Eckles, who brought the issue to the City Council.

The council responded by amending a city ordinance to prohibit the use of "membrane materials" for permanent dwellings within the city. "Membrane materials" is city-planner speak for tents.

"There are a number of reasons why we shouldn't allow off-the-grid living in the city limits," said Councilman Steve Fairbrother at a City Council meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23. "It is unsanitary. It also will make nearby property values plummet. It might make sense on a 50-acre lot somewhere, but not on a 6,000-square-foot lot in the city," he said.

Bellevue Building Inspector Pat Riley said he knows of no one living unconnected to city services in the city or anyone living in a yurt or tipi in the city limits.

Bellevue City Administrator Tom Blanchard said he would like to see this kind of lifestyle made possible elsewhere, perhaps in the county, where people could use composting toilets, solar panels and other means to replace sewer services and electricity lines.

"But I can't imagine people carrying water in buckets during winter in the city," he said.

Other jurisdictions in the Wood River Valley do not explicitly prohibit yurts or other membrane structures as permanent residences, but local codes make it unlikely that they would be allowed.

Hailey building official Dave Ferguson said there is no prohibition in that city's building code against the use of membrane materials, but added, "it would be very difficult to meet the snow load, seismic load and energy code requirements."

Ketchum building inspector Dennis Keierleber said that city has never been approached by anyone seeking to live full-time in a yurt or tipi, but that similar challenges would face an applicant there.

As for tipi- and yurt-living possibilities in Blaine County, county building official Bill Dyer said he knows of no one doing so at this time.

"They will have to meet our building codes for structural integrity, snow and wind loads, and the 2006 energy code for insulation requirements," he said.

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Laughing

11/25/08 - 12:07

Glad we don't live in your snooty county. Thought you folks were progressive and green.

11/19/08 - 16:17

Are you serious by the comment below? Do you live in a tent? whats with all the da's? Come on if you leave a message make sure it is articulate!

Ananta ga Shujn

11/01/08 - 21:10

What is dem boys gonna do when wall street collapses da food store is gone da money go bad- no worky available an da bank take all da houses and da peoples is livin in da street ? No tent ? where da poor gonna go ? internment camp again ? da is rediculous I no go there again never !!

Central Idaho Scrutinizer – Well View

10/31/08 - 18:12

Gee, ever since a handful of vacationers bought second homes down there, they have become quite uppity in Bellevue. Next thing you know, they will pass a pallet ordinance, to inspect everyones deck for quality woodsmanship.

So somebody please tell me; if you are secretly living off a well in Bellevue, connected to ancient waters spurting up from pristine Idaho batholiths, instead of attached to metered city services, does that make you an awful grid sinner? And that you should shift to sip meekly from the consecrated city waters?
www.mtexpress.com
Seems that living off the grid or being homeless now, is either against the law, or on the cusp of being against the law, in so many communities. In some areas, we now have more foreclosed homes than we do homeless people. Fortunately, community leaders in a handful of places have seen what a crisis our nation is in and have thus gained enough empathy to lighten the laws and/or enforcement of laws regarding squatter's rights, etc.

Of course, a few bad squatters, or actors portraying troublemaking destitute, could perceivable tarnish the name of every person trying to live in steadfast earth harmony.

And when did living in Tipis become more unsanitary than some of the trailers already trashing Bellevue? Does anyone see the underlying racism inherent in this propheteering gridmeister ordinance? Why not just come out and clearly say we don't want any dirty Injuns-types living in our town?
www.uvm.edu
If this country continues on the path we are on, soon everybody will need to learn more off-grid living.

My gosh, why doesn't Bellevue just jump in and force shop owners who sell Tipis to make customers fill out a form, asking in great detail what the purchaser's intentions are and whether they propose to use the tipi to sleep and dream within city off-grid limits?

Better yet, hook into an international RFID chip-warning database, which red flags Tipis and yurts coming apart at every seam. Then hire Homeland Security to outpost Bellevue's ends. (Don't forget Muldoon and Broadford) with infrared tent auditing equipment, and utilize face scanning equipment that detects - without a doubt - suspected squatters intentions.

Or best yet, why not create an exemption for hemp woven structures, to assure every wikiup will meet building codes for structural integrity, snow and wind loads, and the 2006 energy code for insulation requirements.

Tony, For the sake of us living on the edge of society, trying our best to survive in Tipis, tents and storage lockers, we beg of you to write a story from our prespective.

Reply to Central Idaho Scrutinizer

Central Idaho Scrutinizer – The swamp

11/22/08 - 03:22

Thanks for this.

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