Last night, after watching the Olympics, I happened to see the local evening news and was infuriated by a story they reported about actress Eva La Rue. La Rue is an actress on hit television series ‘CSI Miami’ and resides in Glendale. Three years ago she built a gate on her property to add protection from a stalker. A beautiful, famous actress with an 8 year-old daughter, La Rue was concerned about her family’s safety. Apparently her neighbors didn’t like the new deterrent and complained to the city.
La Rue was cited by city code enforcement for building the gate around her front yard. She appealed the decision and was granted a variance. But her neighbors still weren’t happy and appealed to the city council, who sided last night 4-1 with the neighbors.
Based on the television report I watched, the gate is visually appealing and certainly not an eyesore or the visual blight such city ordinances are typically used to prevent. The gate may violate city codes for its proximity to the sidewalk and obstruction of the front lawn, but this decision by Glendale is ridiculous.
The principle of private prosperity ownership is an essential American right, just as important as defending one’s life. In fact, in this case the two are intertwined. Ms. La Rue should have the right to add a reasonable gate to her home in order to better protect her family. It is unconscionable for a city government to place aesthetic value above the safety of one of their own residents.
Granted, Ms. La Rue could move to a more secure location in another neighborhood. But the troubling point here is that there is a dangerous trend among local governments to usurp citizens’ right to use private property according to our best judgment. Usually such tales of eminent domain or land use restrictions involve fiscal matters alone, but in this case it is a family’s safety that is at stake. Ms. La Rue has now left her Glendale home, forced to find safety at another location.