送交者: sssa 于 2005-7-14, 18:31:56:
to get a room with a view!!! http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5503620.html
In the Sanctuary, a cul-de-sac where expensive homes hug the tree-lined Anderson Lakes Park, one man sought a perfect view of the blue water beyond the trees.
Eden Prairie officials say Juren Ding cleared the sightlines from his home at 8561 Crane Dance Trail by removing 37 trees from city parkland that rings the lake.
Now Ding, 39, faces a felony charge of first-degree criminal damage to property and could face up to five years of prison and/or $10,000 in fines for illegally cutting the trees valued at $21,600.
"The simple fact is it's clearly somebody trying to get a better view of a natural resource by taking down trees," said Stuart Fox, the city's manager of parks and natural resources.
Ding did not return six telephone messages and two e-mails from a reporter seeking comment.
Anderson Lakes Park
According to Fox, an anonymous citizen called the parks office to complain that they'd seen Ding cutting trees on city property in January 2004.
At that time, city inspectors told Ding's wife that no one is allowed to cut trees on city property, according to a police report.
More than a year later, in February of this year, police responded to another call that trees were being cut on city property behind Ding's home.
"It's someone else's property that's damaged," Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar said. "He owns a million-dollar home, and that doesn't entitle him to damage the property."
According to police, Ding admitted to cutting the trees that were 12 to 14 inches in diameter to get a better view of the lake, and he also admitted that he knew the trees did not belong to him.
"He didn't seem to think there was anything wrong. I asked him what a fence means to him," Fox said. "He cut down a lot of trees that weren't his. As any landowner, the city wouldn't go onto anyone else's property and start cutting down somebody's trees."
Such cases are not isolated in Twin Cities history.
In 1980, Stephen D. Isaacs, editor of the Minneapolis Star at the time, cleared a 30-foot gap by cutting down four trees and about 30 shrubs on city property in Minneapolis in order to get a better view of Lake Harriet from his home. He was charged with misdemeanors for criminal damage to property and molestation of vegetation.
Fox said people are increasingly infringing on the 2,500 acres of city parkland in Eden Prairie by cutting trees, creating gardens and playgrounds, building retaining walls, fences and storage structures, and storing boats.
Things aren't much better in Ramsey County, according to John Moriarty, county natural resources specialist.
"It's very common for people that think they have the right to remove things from public property," Moriarty said. "It happens quite often, and it's a hard thing to prosecute unless somebody admits they cut the trees down."
Ding still does not have a perfect view of the lake, according to neighbor Michael Perpich, who said it looked as if Ding had only cut up to Ding's side of the fence.
"I was really kind of surprised that someone raised as big of a fuss," Perpich said. "I walked in the back yard, and I still can't see the lake from their back yard. You can't see a thing."