Neighbors Protest Planned Python-breeding Farm

Sam Penrod ReportingWe often get calls from people who are upset about plans for something to be built in their own back yard, but this might be a first-- a snake breeding farm that plans to raise up to 200 snakes at a time.

When it comes down to creatures that make people squirm, snakes, along with rats and mice, probably top the list. That's why word that a snake farm could be moving to Mapleton has a lot of neighbors squirming.

A family from California is planning on moving to Mapleton. They've bought property and have had two barns built. It turns out, one of the barns is for raising ball pythons, which they plan to sell over the internet. The other barn is to grow rodents to feed the snakes.

Now longtime residents are getting worried that a snake could escape, bring a bad smell to the area and cause their own property values to drop.

Richard Howell, Neighbor: "Nobody that I know of yet wants the snakes in the community of Mapleton. I haven't heard of anyone. There's a few of them that they are not too concerned about these snakes, knowing more about them, but I haven't talked to anybody yet that really wants them brought into the environment of Mapleton itself."

Jim Brady, Mayor of Mapleton: "We understand the Sutherlands have done everything they need to do to build the barns to operate a business out of their home. What they haven't done is they've not year received the conditional use permit from the planning commission. They have applied for that."

We tried contacting the owners of the property, but were unsuccessful. However, in 16 years in business, they have said publicly that a snake has never escaped from their property.

Apparently there is a market for raising ball pythons; their website lists them for sale from a few hundred dollars, up to 15-thousand.

The situation now goes before the planning commission on September 21st, when a final decision is expected.

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