Provo used to be an awesome place to live. The last few years I've seen and experienced increasing government overreach. Any entity with taxing authority or ordinance control is overreaching into our wallets, lives, and property. The majority of those in government--including our own Provo City council--are more concerned with "progress," generating more tax revenue, and making commercial entities and developers happy.
Most government officials forget they work for and represent the people, not their own interests. Not only do we pay "rent" in the form of property taxes to the city, school district, county and others who collect and impose taxes on what is supposed to be our land for our use, but there is increasing overreach in telling residents what they can and cannot do with their property. As long as something on the property does not pose an undue hazard to those off the property, it should not matter what a resident parks on their own property. Those concerned with this should move to an actual HOA rather than trying to make all of Provo a government enforced HOA.
I know someone who was forced by Provo to do something with their undeveloped property or they would be heavily fined. He told us of someone whose property was annexed into the city--no say on the property owner's part--and then forced to comply with Provo ordinances or get jailed and fined. Really?! Is this what Provo is becoming? Are we (read "anyone in a government official role") really mandating what residents can or cannot do? Property mandates in the form non-grandfathered-clause ordinance?
Not to mention the poorly conceived, planned, and implemented construction projects--most of which have been heavily opposed by residents--that have been forced on us, often in the name of progress, brining in new business, etc. And I won't even go into the city's heavy-handed school district....
Provo used to be a great place to live. Thankfully my neighborhood is still great, but we're feeling the impacts of non-resident-centered decision making. I like where I live, it's great for my family and for my work. We have lived in the same house for nearly 12 years. But, discussions about moving out of Provo have been increasing the last few years.
What happens when the control Provo City is exerting over its residents increases to the point that those who can afford to have boats, travel trailers, etc. decide to start moving away from the city, into more citizen-appreciative locales? It won't happen at once, or even with a short time of a few years, but if Provo City government doesn't shift its focus it will start seeing more of its valuable residents deciding to leave and the quality of life in Provo will begin to deteriorate quickly.
I support the changes to this ordinance