RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – A town on New York’s Long Island is using Google Earth to find backyard pools that don’t have the proper permits. The town of Riverhead has used the satellite image service to find about 250 pools whose owners never filled out the required paperwork.
Violators were told to get the permits or face hefty fines. So far about $75,000 in fees has been collected. Riverhead’s chief building inspector Leroy Barnes Jr. said the unpermitted pools were a safety concern. He said that without the required inspections there was no way to know whether the pools’ plumbing, electrical work and fencing met state and local regulations. “Pool safety has always been my concern,” Barnes said.
But some privacy advocates say the use of Google Earth to find scofflaw swimming pools reeks of Big Brother. Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C., said Google Earth was promoted as an aid to curious travelers but has become a tool for cash-hungry local governments.
I am beginning to hate Google. Before you gloat you might want to check your local zoning ordinance before you build little Tommy’s tree house, or Fido’s luxury dog hotel.
@Awake #7
Ahhh yes. You’re right. It’s “for the children”. That about justifies anything, eh?
#13
Regarding property values, you’re right. A pool increases property value generally which increases property tax revenue. This is a smart move by the local government.
Keep in mind that most Americans no longer own their property anyways. If you live in an area with property taxes, the local government is telling you that you can pay to lease the property from them, but it’s not yours.
Go ahead and don’t pay your property tax and let me know how that works out for you. The property’s not yours. In effect, it’s leased out.
So much for property rights.
I think everybody here is missing the point. The important thing is how Google Earth is allowing ANYONE to peek into your backyard. OK. Forget the damn swimming pools. Are all of you OK with the fact that any nerd can check out your private property? A backyard is off limits to local press photographers, incidentally. How about we all just let Maury Povich in for our next barbeque?
Anybody with a private plane always could.
#24. Thank you….glad somebody gets it. Do you really want the morons on your Home Owners Assoc. looking in your backyard?
It will happen.
#24 – Faxon,
Privacy is looooong gone when it comes to real estate. Just check Zillow.com for evidence… they list photos, details, tax rates, sales records, property value, and much more… for free and for anybody to see.
There are pool covers that look like dirt to aerial photography… I guess you could just get one of those if you want to hide the pool that the law says you need to have a permit for.
not very original.
“Greek Government Hauls in Billions in Back Taxes”
Perhaps, it is safe to assume the same people that are crushing Greece are the same lot destroying America. You know, same puppet master, different string.
This site was celebrating when private satellites were used to rescue a friend of theirs. Can’t complain now.
26,
I still haven’t heard how different this is from having a private (or gov-owned) small plane from doing the very same thing.
Don’t blame the tool, blame the user. Isn’t that what the GOP says when it comes to guns and such?
First its “Taxation is Slavery” and now its “Freedom means Not Paying Taxes/Fees when due.” What a world you TARDS have manufactured for yourselves. “Everything” is an affront to your personal view of freedom.
Ha, ha. What TARDS.
Planes, satellites, water meters…cripes. Just walk around listening for kids splashing and pool filters running. This ain’t brain science.
Google maps would be useless if us geeks hadn’t swamped the early sites containing the images.
FWIW, the view of my house is from a shitty Russian satellite, can’t see a damned thing in my yard.
The Planners at Mendocino County have nothing to do so they are doing the same thing with marijuana growers who put up big (huge) houses without permits over the years. Government has nothing to do but seek new sources of funding and Google Earth is free so it is a great tool for them.
This is a big change for us. Our Planners have been sitting on their butt twiddling their thumbs for decades because we have had no recorded growth for 40 years. That does make it a good place to hide out and grow pot, but everybody is afraid our economy will collapse when they legalize it.
Eff all this.
Everyone build two pools and three tree houses, and plant a marijuana Garden. It’s time we show them the power of public opinion lets run these sheriffs of nottingham out of our lives now!!!
Do all business with no licenses, and no taxes, stop getting license plates drivers licenses registrations and inspections take all cases to court do not plea. Lets stop feeding them and bleed em dry!
#32. Want to know what retarded is? Gladly submitting to tax after tax with zero accountability.
Does this sound like you? Has the government snatched your balls away from you?
Probably never used them anyway.
Alix – “I still haven’t heard how different this is from having a private (or gov-owned) small plane from doing the very same thing.”
What makes you think I’d be on board for that? That sucks too, on a smaller scale.
Guess I have a problem with “authority”, especially as corrupt as our authorities are. Always have, always will.
37,
Then the problem isn’t he satellites, it is what the gov is doing about it.
#38 Let us know how good do you feel about the mouse tracking thing.
#35 is right
This sort of activity is very common at the State and City level, I’m actually surprised they’re using Google Earth… that’s a bit bush league. The hilarious part is that this “Google” imagery is actually imagery the State of New York flew 3 years ago (notice the big “Image © New York GIS” at the bottom of the Google Earth screen). This is tax-payer funded data flown specifically purpose of planning and assessment (and for general public use, like what Google’s doing with it).
Read more about NY’s imaging program here
http://www.nysgis.state.ny.us/gateway/mg/