| FLDS gets noise, road complaints | |
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By Jason Ferguson Custer County Chronicle - Custer, South Dakota | |
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) continues to grow its compound southwest of Custer, having recently applied for a building permit for a new 9,500 square foot building on the compound’s property. The compound has drawn the ire of some of its neighbors recently, for what they feel are incessant trips down area roads with a 3,500 gallon water truck. Cookie Hickstein, one of the compound’s neighbors, said the truck makes as many as seven trips a day to retrieve water. The neighbors are also distraught at the damage the tandem axle truck is doing to the roads. "They are going to do something with it, but they can’t do anything until it rains," said Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler, who met with compound representatives last Thursday. "They need to communicate with their neighbors a little bit." FLDS members are said to retrieve water from both the Custer and Hot Springs public loading areas, although they have recently made less frequent trips to Hot Springs. It isn’t because it costs more or they aren’t welcome. For 50 cents, a consumer can get 300 gallons of water in Hot Springs, compared to around 60 gallons for that same 50 cents in Custer. Gene Wiser, water and street superintendent for the City of Hot Springs, said the city does not monitor who takes water from the loading dock. In fact, he said he did not even know what the FLDS was. Bob Morrison, public works director for the City of Custer, also said Custer does not regulate who and how much water is taken from the public source. Wheeler said the compound uses the water for gardening and drinking. The compound has a well, but its pump is reportedly stuck and cannot be retrieved from the well. Another neighbor complaint received about the compound is the loud noises of construction all hours of the night. Wheeler recently received a complaint from a neighbor of the FLDS compound about late night jackhammering, and contacted the compound, telling them to quiet down, which they did. Neighbors also claim the FLDS has used dynamite in building its compound, something FLDS members have denied. Wheeler recently traveled to the compound to meet with one of its "spokesmen," Ed Johnson. Johnson and another FLDS member were actually waiting for Wheeler a couple miles down the road, outside the compound. Wheeler said FLDS members continue to be cooperative and do what he asks them to do. As for the new building, the structure will be 3,160 square feet on each of its three stories, while housing 13 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. FLDS members applied for the building permit June 28. On the permit, the structure is described as a "proposed house." Custer County planning director David Green pointed out that he recently did an inspection of an 11-bedroom home that was not affiliated with the FLDS. "There are other examples of these large homes in our county that exist outside of the FLDS properties," he said. The new FLDS building will require a new septic tank, which the county will inspect. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has approved the septic tank design. Once it is completed, Custer County Planning officials will travel to the compound to verify the tank was built as designed. "They have been informed we will be coming out to inspect it," Green said. "They have followed the proper procedures and have been very cooperative." The compound also got a permit for the "guard tower" it had previously built on its land without a proper permit. The permit was taken out March 16. | |
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CusterCountyNews.com Originally published Wednesday, July 18 2007 | |
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