When it's in your neighborhood, and it makes the place look like a pulp mill.

A Concerned Reader wrote to report that a neighbor who is apparently in the tree cutting business has been hauling the trees' remains back to his Huffman Drive house and dumping them at the curb for the city to pick up. He said he and other neighbors have called the city to complain, but said someone with the city told him that the guy pays the city to pick up the logs and limbs, so there's no problem.

Well, yes there is. Aside from the aesthetics of the situation, there's a zoning issue at work here. Huffman Drive is in the Franklin Acres area off Floyd Road. Like most all neighborhoods, it's zoned for residential use, which means your neighbor can't just decide to open, say, a strip joint in his house.

(Actually, I guess he could apply for a zoning variance … and I would pay to watch someone argue that before Columbus Council. But I digress.)

The good news is that Pat Biegler, city director of public services, said she'd been contacted about it and is planning to send someone from Special Enforcement over to talk to the neighbor.

"It's one thing if the tree is cut from the property, then we'll pick it up (for a fee)," Biegler said. "But that property isn't zoned for business, and he's basically moving his business to the property. He can't do that."

City Attorney Clifton Fay confirmed that such an arrangement would not be allowed, and that the lumberjack could be ticketed and fined for such behavior.

When I drove by last Thursday to snap the accompanying picture, I noticed a large flatbed trailer in the yard, which is apparently how the guy hauls his wood around. So, if he can haul his wood to the house, he can haul it to the inert landfill, and pay the commercial dumping fee.

Update

Deborah Abraham, cemetery division manager for the city, said a visit last Saturday by 50 volunteers from Fort Benning's Officer Candidate School was "fantastic."

"They leveled about 50 grave markers and cleaned up the (veterans) area," Abraham said. "And when they were through there, they walked around the cemetery picking up trash."

Those candidates were working in Riverdale Cemetery. Another group of 50 OCS students were to make a visit to Porterdale this past Saturday.

And while we're on the subject of cemeteries, I am proud to report that Generous and Patriotic Readers of this column have contributed close to $1,000 to the Coweta Falls chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution to help repair and maintain the grave of Revolutionary War veteran Samuel Cooper out on Warm Springs Road.

Good work, folks.

Seen something that needs attention? Contact me at 706-571-8570 or mowen@ledger-enquirer.com.