According to Chuck Bartlett, Saratoga’s Zoning Officer, the town of Saratoga has sent a cease and desist order to a Saratoga property owner asking he immediately stop all logging operations on his property.
“Should you be utilizing your portable sawmill for activities other than permitted uses, you are hereby ordered to immediately cease and desist operations of your portable sawmill …,” said Bartlett in the letter.
Royce Kelley, Saratoga resident to whom the letter was addressed, said, as of Thursday, he has yet to receive the letter, which was dated July 8.
Kelley said he had left town July 8 heading to Los Angeles.
The cease and desist order mandates, under Saratoga ordinance, that Kelley stop operating his sawmill if it is for a building to be moved off site and/or selling them, which is illegal.
Kelley has two permits to build two log cabins on his property. One of those permits, provided by Kelley, states “to be moved off site”.
The Planning Commission briefly discussed the legality of such a permit in a July 9 meeting. Bartlett said he is researching the details of the permit for the cabin to be moved off site.
“I don’t know if it was issued to be moved off the property, or if it was just going to be used as an accessory building,” Bartlett said.
However, Kelley was issued two permits to build two log cabins on his property, Bartlett said.
In a previous interview, Kelley confirmed his plans were to build a log cabin for his family, and one to be moved off site to a man living in Ryan Park. Both structures are visible from his property located on the west side of town. Kelley said he planned to have the structure to be moved off site done within the next few weeks, unless otherwise told.
“I am going to continue to build and move the other one off, unless they tell me otherwise,” Kelley said.
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