I got my hands on some internal e-mails released by the City of Greensboro today. Among them was an e-mail from a concerned citizen:
"LATO HOLDINGS, LLC is using this residential address/property
located at 513 Brae Burn Lane as a business site, this company is
charging and making money off of other trucking companies such as
Davey Tress and to allow them to dump tree chips, branches, derbies
and other (so called biodegradable) material from their jobs at
different locations within Greensboro/Highpoint at this location, and
then LATO HOLDINGS are digging large holes within this property
they dump with signs also made telling them where to dump, clearly
making it a business not just a regular job site doing for a customer,
and barring these items, NOT backfilling existing holes they (LATO
HOLDINGS, LLC) are actually digging new enormous large holes to
be able to bury these items in and then covering them up and has
been for months throughout this property with multiple daily large
dump truck dumps delivered and dumped daily by Davis tree
company and others and requiring them to sign in on log book when
LATO HOLDINGS is making a profit and money by allowing other
companies to dump at this address along with storing all their
equipment on site as well.
This is a residential neighborhood and this has been going on for
months causing a major nuisance for others within this neighborhood
with all the mud, trucks driving in and out all the time and parking
and noise as well, this use to be a quiet and peaceful neighborhood
now full of construction and tree trucks daily and needs to stop!
They have turned a community from having a FedEx or ups truck
here and there and Garbage truck once a week to multiple dump/tree
trucks daily, in-convincing residence, mail delivery and even trash
pickup due to truck parking and our right to live peacefully within a
residential community.
We have made other request for this to be investigated with the city
and see that it has been looked at and is deemed ok, how is that
possible? LATO HOLDINGS is running a business on residential
property, Davey trucks are using site as dump and latterly signing in
when they dump, this is not just a job site it’s a business and now
we have also joined together as a housing community and this has
now been reported to the local new stations as well in hopes
someone will finally investigate put an end to this mess within our
residential community!! Once and for all!!"
And then the message that was forwarded to City Manager, Jim Westmoreland, Sue Schwartz and Mike Kirkman:
"Good morning Jim – here’s what we know concerning the property at 513 Brae Burn Lane:
1. The property is within the Greensboro City Limits.
2. On 4/23, Building Inspections staff visited the property and provided the following
information:
They have cleared more than an acre, clear cut. They are burying stumps and logs. Piling
up mulch. There is an easement in the back they are covering up, including the telephone
junction box. They are filling in an existing gully that looks like storm water run off from
millwood school rd. There is no building going on at this site so they are not breaking any of
my rules. But, I think they are breaking everyone else's rules.
3. On 4/24, a Zoning Inspector visited the site (CASE ID 201402210), and did not find any
activities at that time that would trigger a zoning violation.
I will work with our code enforcement staff today to determine if there is any other information that
may be useful to you."
Now here's the real problem with the landfill: "Davey trucks are using site as dump and latterly signing in when they dump..."
I think the writer meant to write literally instead of latterly.
How about State and Federal Law, Mr Westmoreland, would that be useful to you?
You see, unattended landfills are illegal in North Carolina. Sign-in sheets and drop boxes are unacceptable. Why? Because anyone can dump anything in an unattended landfill and contaminate the ground water as there's no one there to stop them. As one who has been trained in waste management I know. The owners of this site should be forced to pay for a clean-up of the entire site, dig up everything and haul it away until it is proven the ground beneath it is clean. After all, LATO HOLDINGS has no records to the contrary. Just telling them to stop is a little too cozy and doesn't protect the citizens or the environment.
And that isn't the only thing Jim Westmoreland has buried. On that you have my word and will soon know.
PS. I acquired this e-mail in response to a Public Information Request to e-mails mentioning Mike Barber.Please continue reading Mike Barber's E-mails: Part 2.
