We picked this up off of the newsfeed on the left of our blog. The Council is considering changing zoning codes that will enable the display of merchandise outside a store (without a permit).
This was recommended by the town's Planning and Zoning Commission. To quote the article:
Commissioner Don Cox initiated the amendment after talking with local businesses about current codes.
Businesses expressed interest in displaying merchandise outdoors without violating code, he said.
"As long as it's done appropriately, it helps business," Cox said. "Every penny they bring in in sales taxes means one less penny out of my pocket."
The article shows a picture of Fry's with all the crap sitting outside the store: Grills, Kiddie Pools and any other crap they had laying in the store. Frankly, it looks like hell. Like those nifty A-Frame signs that litter our town.
Just what we need: More ways to make Oro Valley look like crap all in the name of maybe, increasing sales and sales tax revenue.
Schlock Town USA. Here we come.
So, here's a head's up.
"Oro Valley residents are invited to voice their comments about whether businesses should be allowed to display merchandise outdoors without a permit during an open house and public meeting to be held Monday, Aug. 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Oro Valley Town Council Chambers, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive."(Source: Northwest Explorer)
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12 comments:
It's interesting that Don Cox initiated this code change. Doesn't he have coffee, at this same Fry's, on Tuesday mornings with Councilmembers Hornat and Snider?
Please, Oro Valley residents, attend the open house and public meeting, Monday, Aug. 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Oro Valley Town Council Chambers.
DO NOT let Planning and Zoning, Fry's, and this Council further trash Oro Valley.
The news article “OV could amend strict zoning code” in the Arizona Star on Saturday, August 20, 2011 was very interesting. The Oro Valley Town Council will consider amending the zoning code to allow businesses to display merchandise outdoors. Currently, Town code allows the practice now only with a $370 special- use permit. The permit is good for 60 days.
The members of the town’s planning staff recommended the change not be approved.
Yet, the Town Planning Manager, David Williams, was quoted as saying: “We are trying to be business-friendly in our enforcement policy and give the businesses the opportunity to enjoy this time of non-enforcement”. In the past enforcement was driven by complaints he said.
How refreshing! A public employee (dedicated to helping make and enforcing our town codes) going on the record to state that the Town of Oro Valley should be selective in the enforcement of our town code. Wonder how the rest of our town codes are being selectively enforced?
Not to worry! The Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission endorsed the proposal at its August 2 meeting. Commissioner Don Cox initiated the amendment after talking with local businesses about current codes. Businesses expressed interest in displaying merchandise outdoors without violating code, he said. “As long as it’s done appropriately it helps business,” Cox said. “Every penny they bring in sales taxes means one less penny out of my pocket.”
Don Cox is using hyperbole (translation: bullcrap) to try to make a point! I don’t recall any studies or statistics being introduced by Commissioner Don Cox that show the specific sales taxes that have been gathered that related directly to the outdoor merchandise. Remember each piece of outdoor merchandise has an inventory code that would show us the volume of sales dollars generated on them and therefore the gigantic sales taxes produced.
The only thing that will be accomplished by this amendment is to further trash the Town of Oro Valley.
John Musolf
It would be good to see factual data supporting Commissioner Cox' assertion that putting merchandise outside the store boosts sales and, therefore, sales tax revenue.
"Businesses expressed interest in displaying merchandise outdoors without violating code, he said."
You know how they can do that? They can pay the $370 special use permit that is good for 60 days.
Problem solved.
And...if 10 businesses do this, the town will have collected $3,700 for just one 60-day period. If 10 businesses do this year-round, then the town would collect $22,200. per year from these permit fees.
The town needs more money doesn't it? But you know, it makes more sense (to Mary Snider and Joe Hornat anyway) to tax citizens for things they NEED like water, electricity and gas than it does to charge fees to businesses for things they DON'T NEED, like outdoor merchandise displays. That's a WANT...not a need.
I feel I must correct my prior comment about Don Cox having coffee at this same Fry's, on Tuesday mornings, with Councilmembers Hornat and Snider. I should have said Councilmembers Hornat and Waters.
So now we have the comments from the gallery and I will provide some fact.
I did not initiate this code change. It was initiated by the Town Council.
I have had coffee at Fry's on Tuesday once in the last several weeks. And just as a matter of fact, it is none of your business where I have coffee or who is in attendance. The last time I checked there was no requirement for who can have coffee at Fry's.
While each piece of merchandise does have an inventory code which is tracked. However whether the item was inside the store or outside the store when purchased is not tracked. Therefore there is no way to tell it was an outdoor display item. So to use John's term, his comment is "bullcrap".
lastly, I stated in another posting, to display items outside of a store is an additional cost to that store. If it wasn't profitable they would not continue to do it. Let that sink in for a few minutes and then answer the question of whether it generates sales.
The entire code change and the associated space allocation is done to increase sales taxes which benefits all residents. The quickest route to a property tax is to reduce sales tax revenues. Take your pick.
Now OV bjective Thinker sounds like the councilmembers he sometimes meets for coffee. If residents do not want a property tax, they must allow businesses to do what ever they desire... without facts to prove it works and no matter how trashy it makes our town look.
OV Cares...I can guess from your comments that interpretive reading was not a strong suit.
I don't believe the people of this community would support any business that makes our town look trashy.
So now Thinker is telling us that we must change the town code to allow businesses to do whatever they need in order to increase sales and therefore increase SALES TAXES so that we won't need to institute a property tax.
That's funny, because in 2007 he also told us that we NEEDED the run-of-the-mill OV Marketplace with the tacky Wal-Mart anchor in order to increase sales taxes so we wouldn't need to institute a property tax.
I wonder what tacky/schlocky thing we will NEED next year and the year after that.
Cares for OV is correct. Thinker has not provided any FACTS to prove that outdoor merchandise displays work. He is only making assumptions that they do. His "proof" is that they MUST work or else businesses wouldn't take the time to display them.
So here's a reminder for Thinker. Both Thinker and Bonnie Quinn (owner of a local restaurant) INSISTED that A-frame signs worked to generate more business. So every day, Bonnie Quinn took the time to place her A-frame sign outside of her business near the road and every day she took the time to bring the sign back in at the close of business. Did it work? Apparently not since she then took the time to send out an e-mail to dozens of people in town informing them that despite her best attempts at generating more business, her business was still in trouble.
OB Objective Thinker... did you visit Fry's at LaCanada and Lambert this Labor Day weekend? I cannot believe you didn't find the outdoor merchandise display quite trashy looking!
Cares....I visit Fry's nearly every day. With very few exceptions do I find that store trashy. And evidently others don't either because it is a very successful business. If it was "trashy" as you state, human nature would take effect and people would stop shopping there.
Maybe, just maybe, it's you.
Cares for OV
You talked about the Fry's outdoor display looking trashy over the Labor Day Weekend. I have been viewing the trashy outdoor look every day for the last 8 years every time I go by the Fry's at Oracle and first avenue.
John Musolf
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