In case you have missed the section on the HRAA website under police and safety, and in case you missed the article in the January 17th ThisWeek, Westerville, about the proposed patio bars for Larry B's and Cushions, I am posting this on the discussion section for those who frequent the discussion section only.
These proposed patio bars will affect more than Dakar and Brazzaville residents if approved. This is more than an accommodation of smokers. If it were just an accommodation of smokers, then they would not be seeking to expand their businesses as proposed.
Lin Rice of ThisWeek wrote the article, but there is more. I wrote a letter to the editor of ThisWeek in response. Below is my response.
To the Editor:
Thanks to Lin Rice for his article on the proposed patio bars at the Glengary Shopping Center
(ThisWeek Westerville, January 17, 2008). He has helped to further raise community awareness about this issue and that is important.
There is more to the story that the community should know. The first paragraph of Lin?’s article states that the bar owners are seeking ?“to construct patios for patrons who smoke.?” This sounds like justice for the smoker who has been burned by the statewide smoking ban. If this is all the bars owners intended, then there may not be so much resistance by so many.
Ron Burkey, Larry B?’s, wants his ?“patio?” to accommodate 60 patrons, have televisions, and serve drinks. I have learned that Cushions?’ Ron Sylvester has approval from the owners to move his smoking shelter out front - and that is what he has at present - a smoking shelter (in the rear). But now he, too, wants it to be a patio bar allowing drinks, according to Mr. Carle, his attorney.
The ?“big deal?” with having drinks on the patios is that patrons will be encouraged to linger outside longer. Does anyone realize the effect that will have on the peace of the neighborhood? These establishments are only 110 feet from the residential area. Would anyone like to have 60 people in their backyard every night?
Regardless of any soundproofing the bar owners put up, sound travels through all mediums and in all directions, and intensifies with warmer temperatures. The sound will go up and out. So, residents on Bangasi, Cairo, Paris, Karikal, Manila, Rangoon, maybe even Makassar and more should not be surprised that, if approved by commissioners, you also will be affected.
Attorney Matt Carle is correct when he stated that preliminary approval has already been granted. Preliminary approval, however, was to the surprise of Commissioner Kilroy. She was perplexed that approval was even granted because as she stated, ?“We didn?’t even approve a wedding gazebo that was that close to a neighborhood.?”
Mr. Carle?’s statement about ?“waiting for final approval?” is presumptuous, because those of us opposed to a patio bar (versus a smoking shelter that would limit the number of patrons outside and still accommodate the smoker) are waiting for final disapproval.
Ron Sylvester has tried to be a good neighbor. He testified that he trained his staff about taking out trash quietly. Taking out trash and having a patio bar are not the same. When he stated that the people have not been ?“real reasonable?” he is thinking of his bottom line. Ron Burkey is also thinking of his bottom line. We do not want to put these bar owners out of business. There are other options. Moving the smoking shelter to the front for Cushions is step in the right direction. But to say that homeowners who want peace in their own backyards ?“haven?’t been real reasonable?” is unreasonable.
Pam Clegg, 3614 Makassar Dr., Westerville, Ohio 43081-4027. 891.9176
These proposed patio bars will affect more than Dakar and Brazzaville residents if approved. This is more than an accommodation of smokers. If it were just an accommodation of smokers, then they would not be seeking to expand their businesses as proposed.
Lin Rice of ThisWeek wrote the article, but there is more. I wrote a letter to the editor of ThisWeek in response. Below is my response.
To the Editor:
Thanks to Lin Rice for his article on the proposed patio bars at the Glengary Shopping Center
(ThisWeek Westerville, January 17, 2008). He has helped to further raise community awareness about this issue and that is important.
There is more to the story that the community should know. The first paragraph of Lin?’s article states that the bar owners are seeking ?“to construct patios for patrons who smoke.?” This sounds like justice for the smoker who has been burned by the statewide smoking ban. If this is all the bars owners intended, then there may not be so much resistance by so many.
Ron Burkey, Larry B?’s, wants his ?“patio?” to accommodate 60 patrons, have televisions, and serve drinks. I have learned that Cushions?’ Ron Sylvester has approval from the owners to move his smoking shelter out front - and that is what he has at present - a smoking shelter (in the rear). But now he, too, wants it to be a patio bar allowing drinks, according to Mr. Carle, his attorney.
The ?“big deal?” with having drinks on the patios is that patrons will be encouraged to linger outside longer. Does anyone realize the effect that will have on the peace of the neighborhood? These establishments are only 110 feet from the residential area. Would anyone like to have 60 people in their backyard every night?
Regardless of any soundproofing the bar owners put up, sound travels through all mediums and in all directions, and intensifies with warmer temperatures. The sound will go up and out. So, residents on Bangasi, Cairo, Paris, Karikal, Manila, Rangoon, maybe even Makassar and more should not be surprised that, if approved by commissioners, you also will be affected.
Attorney Matt Carle is correct when he stated that preliminary approval has already been granted. Preliminary approval, however, was to the surprise of Commissioner Kilroy. She was perplexed that approval was even granted because as she stated, ?“We didn?’t even approve a wedding gazebo that was that close to a neighborhood.?”
Mr. Carle?’s statement about ?“waiting for final approval?” is presumptuous, because those of us opposed to a patio bar (versus a smoking shelter that would limit the number of patrons outside and still accommodate the smoker) are waiting for final disapproval.
Ron Sylvester has tried to be a good neighbor. He testified that he trained his staff about taking out trash quietly. Taking out trash and having a patio bar are not the same. When he stated that the people have not been ?“real reasonable?” he is thinking of his bottom line. Ron Burkey is also thinking of his bottom line. We do not want to put these bar owners out of business. There are other options. Moving the smoking shelter to the front for Cushions is step in the right direction. But to say that homeowners who want peace in their own backyards ?“haven?’t been real reasonable?” is unreasonable.
Pam Clegg, 3614 Makassar Dr., Westerville, Ohio 43081-4027. 891.9176
