🛑 Update: August 11 Hearing Debrief & What Needs to Happen Before Sept 22 Neighbors and Supporters
Thank you to everyone who has continued to sign, share, and stand up for our neighborhood. We want to provide a transparent, firsthand debrief regarding what transpired at the August 11 Hearing Examiner (HEX) hearing, the challenges we are currently facing with code enforcement, and our critical next steps leading into the September 22 hearing.
🏛️ What Happened at the August 11 HEX Hearing
During the hearing on August 11 regarding Case VIO2026-01180 (operating an unpermitted industrial metal fabrication business on AG-2 agricultural land), Lee County’s assigned code inspector testified before the Hearing Examiner.
When questioned directly by the Examiner as to whether he had personally caught the industrial operations in progress, the inspector testified that the County had not directly witnessed active fabrication/manufacturing operations during their site visits—observing vehicles, but noting they could theoretically be claimed as related to agricultural/horse activity.
Because the County stated on the record that it had not caught the crew actively cutting, welding, or manufacturing during official inspections, the case was not conclusively resolved and has been carried over to a subsequent hearing scheduled for September 22, 2026.
🔍 The Reality on the Ground vs. What Is Being Claimed
Despite attempts to characterize daily operations as "farming or horse care," the reality experienced by adjacent neighbors tells a completely different story:
Daily Industrial Crew Activity: Crews continue arriving consistently between 6:55 AM and 7:30 AM, conducting heavy metal cutting, grinding, clanging, and steel transport in open view.
PPE & Equipment: Workers on site are wearing protective earmuffs, welding gear, and utilizing heavy industrial equipment to cut and grind steel—operations that are distinctly commercial manufacturing, not customary agricultural upkeep under LDC § 34-653.
Disguised Operations: Industrial curtains and tarps were hung around the open barn structure to conceal work from public view, although heavy noise and machinery continue daily.
⚖️ What We Are Doing to Close the Evidence Gap
Direct Communication with County Officials & Legal Counsel: We have formally reached out to Lee County Code Enforcement leadership, District 4 Commissioner Brian Hamman, and the County Attorney's office.
Offering Direct Property Access: Adjacent property owners have formally granted County inspectors permission to stand on neighboring property lines/decks to directly observe, photograph, and video-record the active fabrication work as it happens.
Submitting Neighbor-Collected Logs: A comprehensive dossier of date- and time-stamped video, photographic, and acoustic evidence logged by multiple surrounding neighbors is being prepared for submission ahead of the September 22 hearing.
📣 How You Can Help Before September 22
The September 22 hearing will be pivotal. We need Lee County officials to understand that our neighborhood expects firm enforcement of established AG-2 zoning protections:
Share This Petition: Help us reach more Lee County residents to demonstrate broad community solidarity against illegal industrial conversions of rural land.
Submit Public Inquiries: If you are a resident in District 4, contact Lee County Code Enforcement and your Commissioner’s office to politely ask that adequate observational evidence be secured to resolve VIO2026-01180 on September 22.
Document Any Visible Violations: If you drive along Nalle Rd and observe commercial freight traffic, open industrial storage, or work crews obstructing rural roads, continue reporting via official county channels.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to keeping our community safe, quiet, and properly protected under the law.
(Public records, violation summaries, and case status details can be verified directly on the Lee County Accela Citizen Access portal under VIO2026-01180.)