Douglas County officials will be watching tonight to see whether a farmer operates his haunted maze in violation of a county-issued temporary business permit.
"After 8 o'clock tomorrow there will be an inspection," Keith Dabney, county director of zoning and codes, said Wednesday.
Richard Strong was granted a temporary business permit by the Douglas County Commission with the restrictions that he treat a nearby road with a dust-control chemical, put up a $500 cleaning deposit and close each day by 8 p.m.
But, with legal advice from former city-county planning director Price Banks, Strong is arguing that he shouldn't need county permission to run the maze through Halloween. Strong said he is operating on his own land at 1919 N. 1500 Road and is using a failed sweet-corn field for the maze, to which he will charge admission.
"The county counselor totally disagreed with that assessment," Dabney said.
Strong said Tuesday that he would do his best to keep the area clean. He said he would spray the road with water periodically. And he said he would stay open until 10 p.m.
After Wednesday's county commission meeting, Strong said he didn't know what he was going to do.
Dabney said violating a county zoning regulation is a misdemeanor offense and that he would take Sheriff Loren Anderson to tonight's inspection as a precaution.
If Strong is in violation of his permit, Dabney said he would take the matter to the county commission Monday, seeking a revocation of the temporary business permit.
That could lead to an injunction and a forced closing, Dabney said.
"We'll go full-scale to shut him down, period," Dabney said. "I'm really hoping none of this is necessary."
-- Kendrick Blackwood's phone message number is 832-7221. His e-mail address is kblackwood@ljworld.com.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.