| Author | Message | ||
     Shock & Awe Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 2066 Registered: 10-2001  |
Art, That sucks. It's awful and the board sounds like a bunch of clowns. I'm so sorry Art. I think this whole town owes you an apology for its behaivor. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 2812 Registered: 5-2001  |
Ajc, All my sympathies. I'm sorry you had such awful opposition. | ||
| Frost French Citizen Username: Frost Post Number: 14 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hmmmm. I grew up three houses away from a beautiful B&B and rather than seeing it as a burden, we saw it as a real asset to the neighborhood and the community. The out-of-towners could often be found sitting on the porch in the morning or evening, and my family and lots of other neighbors would gather there, too...we spent many a sunset getting to know people from distant lands, and being able to share with them our own stories and city. I can't believe there is such an uptight group of assclowns (that's for you, Straw) fighting this B&B. They must be very unhappy people generally; I can only imagine that they are typical "glass-half-empty" types. B&Bs are great for neighborhoods, period. I'm so sorry that you've drawn the short end of the neighbor stick, Art, and I sincerely hope you will continue to fight this ridiculously petty situation until your B&B is back and flourishing. | ||
| Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 2279 Registered: 1-2003  |
Frost French put it very well. A select few people are looking at a potential asset as a liability. Everyone loses. I'm very sorry, Art, but as you say, it's not over, so keep at it. Tom Reingold the prissy-pants There is nothing | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 135 Registered: 9-2001 |
Art, I was shocked and dismayed to hear the board turned down the proposed settlement. Clearly, your adversaries are mounting a very intense, well-orgainzed campaign of the minority. Question for you: What has been the status of Les Saisons during all this? Is it open for business now or temporarily shut down. | ||
| Shock & Awe Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 2073 Registered: 10-2001 |
I think it'as also safe to say that Jerry and Vic's decision to continue this move to SA so they can justify the investment there so they can get re-elected is a disgrace. I guess the investment there has so backfired that they now need businesses in town to move there so they can claim success. This as opposed to getting "other" businesses to move there. Thank god Maplewood voted these men out of office. Art, what can we do to help? | ||
| Duncan Citizen Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 1604 Registered: 12-2001  |
Art the only thing I can say is I am sorry that this is happening. I am sorry I couldn't be there last night to throw my support behind you (I had a show) but on the other hand it might be just as well I wasnt there, I have a tendency to get indignant pretty quickly and might have said some regrettable things. "you're out of order, you're out of order, this whole court is out of order" Alls Well That Ends Well. Playing through March 7. info at http://www.hometown.aol.com/theatr1010/ | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 136 Registered: 9-2001 |
Art, I feel terrible that I wasn't able to be there last night, but with a full-time job in the city where I had to work late last night and a 10-month-old at home, I just couldn't swing it. I am convinced that the majority of Maplewoodians support Les Saisons. Is it too late to do something like circulate a petition in support of the B&B? It kills me that so many residents rant and rave about their high property taxes and then fight tooth and nail to prevent tax-paying businesses from operating here and adding to the ratables. Get real folks: Your property taxes have nowhere to go but up if we can't attract (or even manage to keep) businesses in this town. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 2814 Registered: 5-2001 |
I can almost imagine the possibility of a very few cantankerous, anti-social neighbors complaining, but why on earth would Jerry and Vic go through so much trouble to stop this - neither of them live near there. I refuse to believe it's because Art is a republican. Art - can you shed some light on this? | ||
| Shock & Awe Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 2075 Registered: 10-2001 |
Mem, It's because those 2 politicians (Jerry & Vic) want Art to open on SA. They need SA to work so they can sell its success when they run again. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 2817 Registered: 5-2001 |
Straw, They expect Art to lift that beautiful house and property up and plop it down on SA? Or will they re-route SA past Art's place? Imagine those stingy neighbors if THAT happens? | ||
| Shock & Awe Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 2076 Registered: 10-2001 |
They expect Art to make a financial committment to SA, though they can't promise him that they will better police the area & better protect those who choose to stay at his hotel. However, as I can attest to first hand, they will do their best to keep the crime on the Ave. quiet, so as to not alarm the rest of us. (this of course if we're ever silly enough to vote them back in) | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 137 Registered: 9-2001 |
If Jerry and Vic seriously want Art to keep his B&B in Maplewood, this sure as hell seems like a strange way of doing it... Art, any thoughts on Straw's theory? | ||
| Frost French Citizen Username: Frost Post Number: 15 Registered: 12-2003 |
But, the whole point of a B&B as opposed to a hotel or motel (or even an inn) is that it is embedded in a residential neighborhood. That homey feel is what B&B patrons are looking for; the chance to stroll past local architecture and get a real feel for a place's people, not just a place's merchants. Relocating the B&B to SA is a patently ridiculous idea; I venture to guess that if Art was in it solely for the $$, he'd just open a cookie-cutter motel on SA and be done with it. | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 742 Registered: 3-2002  |
Why are Vic and Jerry involved? Didn't the educated voters of Maplewood voice their opinion and vote them out? What does the current TC think? | ||
| mtierney Citizen Username: Mtierney Post Number: 501 Registered: 3-2001 |
Ajc, are you saying that Vic's statement and Jerry's letter swayed the board? They convinced the board that more of our taxpayer dollars had to be spent on what I see as a frivolous law suit? This is just galling! What is the motivation of those two has-been politicians? Do they just want to create havoc for Profeta et al? Suggesting SA for a B&B is beyond stupid! | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 2819 Registered: 5-2001 |
Doesn't Fred P. have any say in this? | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2526 Registered: 9-2001 |
Mem, the township committee has nothing to say about my litigation with the Board of Adjustment, well at least while the litigation continues.... That's the law! Thank you, everyone... I really appreciate the words of encouragement and all the support. Let me say this about that, the Maplewood Board of Adjustment had an opportunity to settle this matter for the best interests of the town and all parties concerned. Unfortunately, the new Board was not prepared for the strong opposition to the settlement agreement. IMO, the newer members of the Board were unaware the neighbors had no intention of ever settling this matter, and rather than negotiating a fair agreement, they spent their time combing the town soliciting support not to allow bed and breakfast in a residential zone... Sometimes people get what they ask for, and this may be that time. The courts will now decide this matter. The Board will no longer decide what restrictions I must meet, nor will the neighbor’s have this opportunity again. For any reason I don’t win my case for a non-conforming use, I will apply for a use variance. Should I fail to win approval there, I will work for a bed and breakfast ordinance in our community. If unsuccessful getting an ordinance, I’ll bring it to the state level for a universal change to make a bed and breakfast a permitted use in a residential zone… I will never give up the fight! For the time being I have this issue over the B&B handled. I’ll be going back to Superior Court where we have been successful three times thus far. We have a strong position, and I’m confident we can win again. I promise I will reach out again in the near future for your support if I need it. Right now there are more important issues to work on for Maplewood. First, I encourage everyone to take a closer look at the thread named “New police station?”. I feel strongly that the Community pool site for the new police headquarters is worth having the township committee fight for. If that’s going to happen, a lot of work has to be done. Last night I understand the study committee favored the former Mayor’s site on the Maplewood Tire side of SA, over the current Mayor’s choice, which I believe is still the Betty White site. The key issue of acquisition cost of the properties at both locations is basically unknown to us. It appears to me that the overall effects in purchase costs, legal fees for the good fight, the disruption of families and business, and the loss of commercial ratable income is not only unacceptable, it’s down right disgusting to consider doing this when other more reasonable possibilities exist. The problem is to get the township committee to agree to fight the Green Acre issues. As I recall Vic and Jerry were afraid to fight the Apter site attorneys, but Fred wasn’t. Lets see what happens now that the shoe is on the other foot... I have one more challenge if anyone is interested in working with me? I want to promote a full court press on our new, economic and developmentally challenged township committee, to introduce an ordinance to permit bed and breakfast homes in Maplewood. Personally, I’ve had enough! Two Township Committee’s have been talking the talk about how they favor B&B’s for Maplewood for years. I believe it’s time to make them walk the walk. How long must we wait until we jump start the economic development in town, and equally as important, how long must we continue to send the families and friends of our residents to neighboring communities for lodging? Strawberry, you asked what can we do to help? Well, I’m not going bring in the parking issues in the town, but if anyone is really interested in helping getting any of these other issues moving, just give me a call, because I’m fired up...  | ||
| Reflective Citizen Username: Reflective Post Number: 329 Registered: 3-2003 |
Well, the Town will get what it deserves. It will spend a lot of money on attorney fees because of: a few sorry neighbors, a new zoning board which doesn't get it, and continued meddling by two losers who lost credibility during the property tax fiasco. One thing about Art, he is fair (bends over backwards to be so), brings people to the table, and respects all points of view. This should have been resolved as a win-win. Art was blind-sided again, and I look forward to the justified legal action against the Township. Profeta should now be concerned about the legal fee line item in addition to the school budget. Go gettem ajc! | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 414 Registered: 9-2003 |
Good luck Art - given my "handle" I couldn't speak at a Maplewood town meeting, but I've recommended your B&B and we were hoping to include it in the "where to stay" portion of my child's wedding invitation for out of state guests. ... wedding is in June... guess we won't be able to include your ever so conveniently located establishment after all  |
