Christopher Evans: Don’t restrict hobbyists

I found the Jan. 18 news article “Raleigh to Dix visitors: Don’t take our artifacts” alarming. The article was about a city-wide ban on a popular hobby, but no effort was made to speak with anyone this ordinance will affect or delve into what prompted the legislation. The article centered on Dorothea Dix Park, but claimed that this new ordinance will criminalize hobbyist metal detecting in all public areas. This feels like a rush to judgment.

Most cities set park rules in historically sensitive sites, some install a permitting process, others still restrict the months of the year hobbyists can walk the grounds of certain parks – the city doesn’t seem to have considered any of these.

In the article, the superintendent said that there have been no instances of any person removing “artifacts” from Dix. So how did this happen?

As a model aircraft enthusiast, it alarms me that the city can vote to enact an ordinance banning a hobby Raleigh families have legally participated in for decades. Could my hobby be banned as well, and how do these ordinances get passed without being on the agenda or official minutes of the city council meeting referenced in the article?

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Christopher Evans: Don’t restrict hobbyists."