Business Permit Wild West - Neighborhood Rebuttal
I recieved this via email floating around the city. I thought it had some good points for our City Council to consider pertaining to the Councilmen Suttle outburst about neighborhoods.
Empty storefronts
We might point out that certain businesses (chiefly those that sell liquor, and are open late in the night) are attractive nuisances, serving as gathering places for people who often cause any number of problems for neighborhoods. As those same people often congregate during the day and evening hours, they serve as a deterrent to other, more responsible people, who often support responsible businesses and contribute their time and effort to neighborhoods to work towards a better quality of life. By allowing such troublesome businesses to operate, the City Council is effectively making the district unsuitable for other, more valuable businesses that would provide services and jobs to neighborhood residents. Certainly we have seen the difficulty of attracting new business to the 33rd and California area due to troublemakers congregating at the store and convenience mart. It is a simple fact of life that, with many options and choices for shopping and dining, good people will avoid areas where there are troublemakers, and will not patronize businesses in those areas.
It should be the responsibility of the City Council to assess the compatibility of proposed businesses with the conditions and goals of neighborhood improvement, rather than rubber-stamping any businesses, under the belief that any business is better than no business. It should be the responsibility of the City Council to recognize businesses that have historically caused problems or been a locus of problems, and deny permission for such businesses to operate in areas where their existence will contribute to neighborhood deterioration. We are asking for the City Council to accept that responsibility.
We recognize that neighborhood associations are not the sole arbiters of what works and what does not. But what we observe every day, coupled with police records and reports, must carry some weight in the decision process. Clearly, businesses that derive the majority of their revenue from the sale of alcohol create problems for neighbors and businesses in the area. Allowing such businesses will create more empty storefronts as other businesses are driven out. Such businesses also make it much harder to revitalize marginal residential areas. It is difficult to see where allowing such businesses to move in is to the benefit of the city in general. Certainly it is not a benefit to the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Retired & long time resident of Gifford Park Neighborhood
Empty storefronts
We might point out that certain businesses (chiefly those that sell liquor, and are open late in the night) are attractive nuisances, serving as gathering places for people who often cause any number of problems for neighborhoods. As those same people often congregate during the day and evening hours, they serve as a deterrent to other, more responsible people, who often support responsible businesses and contribute their time and effort to neighborhoods to work towards a better quality of life. By allowing such troublesome businesses to operate, the City Council is effectively making the district unsuitable for other, more valuable businesses that would provide services and jobs to neighborhood residents. Certainly we have seen the difficulty of attracting new business to the 33rd and California area due to troublemakers congregating at the store and convenience mart. It is a simple fact of life that, with many options and choices for shopping and dining, good people will avoid areas where there are troublemakers, and will not patronize businesses in those areas.
It should be the responsibility of the City Council to assess the compatibility of proposed businesses with the conditions and goals of neighborhood improvement, rather than rubber-stamping any businesses, under the belief that any business is better than no business. It should be the responsibility of the City Council to recognize businesses that have historically caused problems or been a locus of problems, and deny permission for such businesses to operate in areas where their existence will contribute to neighborhood deterioration. We are asking for the City Council to accept that responsibility.
We recognize that neighborhood associations are not the sole arbiters of what works and what does not. But what we observe every day, coupled with police records and reports, must carry some weight in the decision process. Clearly, businesses that derive the majority of their revenue from the sale of alcohol create problems for neighbors and businesses in the area. Allowing such businesses will create more empty storefronts as other businesses are driven out. Such businesses also make it much harder to revitalize marginal residential areas. It is difficult to see where allowing such businesses to move in is to the benefit of the city in general. Certainly it is not a benefit to the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Retired & long time resident of Gifford Park Neighborhood
posted by Mr Midtown at 9:55 AM
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