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Adjacent to my side yard is an undeveloped, neglected acre or so of land that belongs to the City of Marietta. My dogs and I would love it if I expanded my fenced yard to give them more room to roam. Who would care? This is a "vacant" lot (except for trees, understory, deer, and squirrels) that no one ever uses--except to toss litter. Why can't I just grab that land and consider it my own? No one would notice or care. I probably wouldn't even have to pay property taxes on it! I wouldn't take the whole lot, just a few feet where it borders my property. Why not?
Claiming it for my private use would amount to theft, and stealing is illegal, immoral, and wrong. Public land belongs to the public, not to adjacent landowners, no matter how much they want it or how small the encroachment.
God bless Roger Kalter for preventing the theft of public land in Knox Park. All residents of Marietta should support him in his efforts to keep public land public, and it is the city's duty to protect its property from theft.
Roger has put countless hours and who knows how many calories of labor planting trees, righting fallen tombstones in Oak Grove Cemetery, and otherwise improving public places-not for his own private benefit, but for the public good. He should be encouraged and thanked for his tireless work serving the public.
Marietta City Council: Stop the steal of Knox Park!