Planning Commission Votes 3-0 to Reject Pawn Shop Rezoning
Planning Commission voted 3-0 to deny request for rezoning.
The City of Kennesaw Planning Commission met Thursday, May 3, 2012 and addressed items A-D in the 2 hour long meeting.
Item D was the request for Rezoning of the Mack Dobbs Properties, LLC to allow the Cruchelow Jewelry and Loan, an admitted Pawn Shop, to remain in the Venturi mall despite it being listed as an excluded type of business per the 2004 restrictions on business types that Venturi agreed to in order to have his property rezoned from residential to business.
Kennesaw Zoning Administrator Mr. Simmons spoke and gave a complete review of both the 2004 City Council decision and summarized the City error in letting the Pawn Shop get a business license. He stated that the Zoning Department did NOT recommend the requested change and asked that the Planning Commission deny the request by Sams/Venturi.
Mr. Sams, the same zoning lawyer representing Venturi in 2004, spoke to 30 minutes but did not manage to explain why he had agreed to exclude Pawn Shops 8 years ago and was suddenly now in favor of them. Mr. Venturi spoke for 3 minutes.
5 people spoke in the public comments section, 4 against the Rezoning Request and 1 in favor.
When I spoke I mentioned that it was understandable that Mr. Venturi would want the shop to remain as he had a 60 month lease with the Cruchelow's and over the 5 years of the lease it would result in rentals of approx. $300,000. I further pointed out that area residents felt that they were being 'stabbed in the back' by this reconsideration of the zoning to allow the Pawn Shop to remain.
Attorney Mr. Sams had earlier mentioned that there was a petition presented to the City with approx 160 names of people in favor of the Pawn Shop remaining. Later Mr. Simmons provided this petition to one of the speakers who were against the shop and both he and I looked at it briefly while other people spoke. We both noted that some of the handwriting seemed similar and also that there were a lot of people listing out of area addresses (Marietta) who would not be impacted by the Pawn Shop.
The vote was taken and it was 3-0 to deny the request for rezoning of the mall to allow Pawn Shops. The next meeting on this topic will be May 16th at 6 pm in the City Hall Council Chambers
Bill
4:59 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2012
One Less Pawn Shop in Kennesaw
You might have noticed that there was a small out of the way Pawn Shop tucked into the strip mall at Jiles Road and Main Street. This was across the street from a school and kitty corner from the CVS drug store.
This shop and it's annoying road side Pawn Shop signs are now history.
It might not have been the pawn shop we hoped to go under but I guess we will just have to take what we can get and keep working on the other one.
Bill
11:33 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Once 'in office' State Officials don't want to bother to assist citizens.
I know this first hand from trying for six weeks to get a reply from the Governor and Secretary of State.
When the City of Kennesaw decided to pass on enforcing the Georgia Code section that barred the local pawn shop from using the term 'Loan' in advertising or their name I wrote to the Governor 3 times and the Secretary of State once.
Today I got an email from the Governors office fobbing it off on the Secretary of State for a reply, later in the day I got an incoming from the Secretary of State saying they didn't handle these sorts of problems.
All I was asking these people was to direct me to someone or some agency that I could put in a complaint with about the matter. I didn't ask them to actually DO anything but tell me where to put in the complaint.
Unfortunarely they are to lazy to bother with voters and taxpayers once they have their jobs.
Bill Harris
Bill
8:18 am on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The May 16 6 PM Special Call City Comm. meeting is the 2nd to address the Cruchelow Pawn Shop issue, those interested in this issue should be sure to attend. Prior actions have found that the Zoning Administrator has recommended AGAINST any variation for the Pawn Shop and the Zoning board has voted 3-0 AGAINST allowing any change or exception to the current Zoning which the property owner has applied for. A poor attendance may be regarded by the City Commission as a lack of community interest and they could allow a variance to allow the Pawn Shop to remain - so be sure and attend to oppose this Pawn Shop remaining in the strip mall.
Bill
8:19 am on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The May 16 6 PM Special Call City Comm. meeting is the 2nd to address the Cruchelow Pawn Shop issue, those interested in this issue should be sure to attend. Prior actions have found that the Zoning Administrator has recommended AGAINST any variation for the Pawn Shop and the Zoning board has voted 3-0 AGAINST allowing any change or exception to the current Zoning which the property owner has applied for. A poor attendance may be regarded by the City Commission as a lack of community interest and they could allow a variance to allow the Pawn Shop to remain - so be sure and attend to oppose this Pawn Shop remaining in the strip mall.
Bill
8:19 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
City Refused to Change Pawn Shop Zoning 5-0
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
From: http://kennesawpawnproblems.blogspot.com/
On Wed. May 16th at 6 PM a Special Call Meeting of the Kennesaw City Council was held. The meeting lasted 45 minutes and 50 people attended. All Council members were present. John and Serena Cruchelow and Tino Venturi were present.
After Zoning Administrator Simmons outlined the subject matter of the meeting, Mr. Garvis Sams spoke for 15 minutes in support of the Venturi/Cruchelow request for approval of an Ordinance to amend a rezoning condition which had earlier been submitted by Mr. Venturi's Mack Dobbs Properties. Nothing 'new' was added, just restated for the record. A stenographer was present to record what was said. Future litigation is probable.
3 people spoke in opposition to any change in zoning and one person spoke in favor of having the Pawn Shop remain.
The 5 member City Council voted 5-0 to deny the request for a change in zoning to allow the Pawn Shop to remain.
Bill Harris, Kennesaw