This is a response to an article that needs to be shared with all San Juan County residents:
[A recent] article in the “Journal of the San Juans” (4/17/13) “Council Inks Aerial Photos Deal” needs more explanation. One of the main themes that came out of our Community Conversations, is that the people in our county want more communication and given more facts about subjects.
This is not just Aerial Photography; this is “Oblique Photography” (see web site at www.pictometry.com). From the web site we learn that Pictometry Oblique Imagery is called, “Intelligent Imagery…..is capturing two types of imagery for every square foot of an area, oblique and vertical.” “……it reveals the world from a more natural perspective, so objects are easier to recognize and interpret. With resolutions as high as 3-inch Ground Sample Distance, you can see all in amazing detail and every feature, structure and parcel from North, South, East, West or straight down. When you layer GIS information on top of such meticulous imagery, you turn data into knowledge.”
This technology gives the county not only the ability to look at buildings from all angles and measuring heights of buildings, it also gives them the ability to see “every feature” and structure on your property in “amazing detail”.
I do not feel this technology fits in our county, or with our desire to keep the rural character of our county. My feed back from county islanders is that we want to preserve our privacy as much as possible. This technology, in my opinion, infringes on those privacies. I have no problem with just updating our existing aerial photos with “straight down” technology when they need to be updated and when it is brought before the Council as a “budgeted item”. However, Marc Forlenza and I voted against updating our aerial photos because it was not a budgeted item and it would use Oblique Photography.
The Council will be updated in the progress of the project. It is on the County Council Agenda at 11:15 am, Tuesday, April 23rd in the Council Chambers.
Bob Jarman
County Councilmember, San Juan Dist. 1
Bob–you are the first candidate to differentiate between an update of existing aerial photos and the new “oblique angle” photos. Stan Matthews clearly stated, in his letter to the County Council, that with the new photos the County would have the tools to measure the heights of buildings, trees and even brush. These photos will be very high resolution. Do we really want our government to be looking this closely into our back yards and lives? Every Islander that I have talked to about this proposal has responded in the same way–this proposal is a breech of personal privacy as well as our Trust. I think overhead photos are useful for roads, fire, and a certain level of County Planning, but I believe that “oblique” angle photography is a large step down the “slippery slope” towards surveillance. Readers, please ask all of your friends what they think.
Royce Meyerott
Trustislanders!
If it is not in the budget, then do not spend the money! We need less government not more.
I would be interested in hearing from the current county council members that did approve this deal.(I would understand from his comments that Councilman Jarmen did not.) My first thought, I must admit, at learning of this new photography was not one of paranoia and suspicion of spying, but rather that it might be a good idea in light of the long history of islanders building both land and marine structures with either no permitting or exceeding the permits that they did apply for and receive.
For example,there are numerous out of code docks – ones that exceed the measurements granted in their original permits.
If we are to “trust” each other – we should be able to trust and expect that consequences (such as fines)take place when islanders choose to not follow regulations. The county does not have the budget, nor employees to do active, on the ground follow up inspections of permitting (which is quite a common practice in most counties) and it appears that some residents are even refusing to let the authorized County people on their land when there is a situation to investigate. Regulations on building and construction do not negatively affect any “rural character” -but rather serve to protect it. There is a Commons component to land management and permitting. No private property owner has a right to do just anything, anytime that is outside of current regulations – as their choices can then negatively affect the “Commons” for us all (air quality, water safety, pollution, erosion, etc.) If there is a need to streamline the County’s permitting process, review current regulations, propose less or more – then let’s do that. We as citizens have that right and could step forward in a positive way to accomplish it.
I understand everyone not wanting the government to have more information on us, or photos of our land…but here is the simple thought…if your not doing anything wrong don’t worry, the use of photos to bust those who are building without a permit is the fault of those who go against the law….this issue was a problem with an individual, one i am not familiar with who built a building without a permit…again don’t do anything wrong and they wont bust you..