September 12, 2022 |
“Turtle” is in a race against the town to clean up his weed filled lot. For over a year, Saratoga’s town council has been at odds with Seth “Turtle” Johnson over his property at First and Hickory. The town wants Johnson, of Slow and Steady Law Office LLC, to remove the weeds and debris that have become an eyesore and a potential hazard, especially to neighbors.
The lot, located across from the Kum & Go on the west side of First Street at Hickory, was once the home of a diner called Mom’s Kitchen. In 2019, Johnson purchased the property, which had been unoccupied for years. The land had other buildings on it as well. He says that the decaying structures were a haven for illegal activities.
A neighbor told council that the overgrown lot continues to be a breeding ground for unlawful behavior. Johnson said he intends to construct a building at the site. It would include his offices, a coffee shop and other office suites to rent. He said that easier access to business opportunities would be a boon for the entire town.
Pictured: File photo of the demolition of Mom’s Kitchen in 2019. Photo credit: Emma Diercks/Bigfoot 99.
Johnson says Covid and inflation have delayed his plans. The lot has sat empty, and untended, for more than three years. The plant growth has become a problem for neighbors who have complained to town council.
The town issued Johnson a notice of violation last year saying that he had to remove the “noxious weeds” on his property. The attorney focused on the term “noxious weeds,” taking a narrow, a legalistic view of the term. He asked the town to specify which plants should be removed.
Johnson said some of the growth on the lot are cottonwood trees, not weeds, and he won’t cut them down. Johnson argues that the lot is something of a tree farm. He wanted to donate the cottonwoods to Never Forget Memorial Park. Johnson said he was good friends with Sergeant Tyler Pickett, the Saratoga soldier killed in Iraq whose memory inspired the park. Johnson was approached by area resident Scott Kerbs to donate the saplings to the new park. Johnson was on board with the request.
Kerbs confirmed that he did approach Johnson with the idea. While planning continued on the Never Forget Park, the council decided to see if Johnson would clear the lot of everything but the trees. Johnson said that if the town had approached him differently, he would have complied.
The lot remained undeveloped and unattended. At the July 19th town council meeting, a resident who lives next to the property complained to council about its condition. Jodelle Hone said the deserted appearance of the site and tall weeds have contributed to safety and sanitation issues. She requested that the council act.
Councilman Ron Hutchins responded to the complaint, saying that Johnson had promised him that something would be done to clean up he property in two weeks.
The two weeks came and went, and the property remain unchanged.
Town council revisited the issue at the August 2nd meeting. Councilman Hutchins again said that he would contact Johnson who had told him previously that cleanup would begin in a week. Councilman Jon Nelson said that the council had promised Hone that they would address the situation.
Councilman Nelson motioned for a vote to send Johnson another notice of violation. Councilwoman D’Ron Campbell seconded the motion. Before the vote was cast, town resident David Worthington voiced his objection. Worthington argued that the property was being allowed to return to its natural state.
Council voted to issue the notice of violation, which states that Johnson has until the end of September to clear his property of weeds and debris. At last Tuesday’s council meeting, Mayor Creed James said that if the property owner refused to comply, the town would clean up the lot and send Johnson the bill.
The landscape plan for the Never Forget Park changed when a land deal fell through this summer. New plans were drawn up for a smaller version of the park that did not include Johnson’s transplanted trees. Last Tuesday, Councilman Ron Hutchins said that he appreciated Johnson’s reasons for giving away the trees but had to inform him that the town could no longer use them. Johnson, however, is still expected to clear his lot.
Speaking to Councilman Hutchins, Councilman Jon Nelson wanted to make sure that Johnson was aware that he didn’t need to chop the trees down. The town just wants the weeds and rubble removed from the property.
Johnson is skeptical of the council’s intentions and blamed the entire matter on a personal grudge on behalf of one council member. The attorney told Bigfoot 99 that if his lot was in violation of an ordinance then the town should have issued him a citation.
Johnson, who ran and lost for Carbon County attorney in 2018, said he will not cooperate with the notice of violation that the town sent to him. He said he will return it to the town unopened.
After more than a year of refusing to cooperate with the town, heavy equipment appeared on Johnson’s lot Monday morning after this story first appeared. The lot was in the process of being cleaned up Monday.
