Long-Term Resident, Business Owner Expresses Opinion

Roughly 500 petitions signed by residents were submitted by businesses requesting exceptions to the neon sign ordinance. Each of these petitions clearly indicated that the residents (taxpayers) have no issue with the neon signage that exists (or did exist) on Mack Avenue. No one on council indicated that any of the signs in question were offensive in any way, and there was general agreement that there has never been any public outcry against these signs. Still, they denied each of our requests.

I attended the Jan. 17 Grosse Pointe Woods City Council meeting, to make a request for an exception to the neon sign ordinance as it applied to .  The ordinance was established in 2002, and while it originally had grandfathering provisions for businesses with existing neon at that time, the grandfathering expired, and 58 businesses were notified to remove their signs in October. 

Fifty of the businesses who were notified have since removed their signs, and eight others, including Elan, exercised our rights to appeal as per the provisions in the ordinance. 

It was clear from our first visit with the planning commission that there was no consideration given to our appeals. Instead, there seemed to be a pervasive atmosphere of fear for the slippery slope it would create if an exception were granted. At the meeting on Monday night, the council (with the exception of Lisa Pinkos Howle, who courageously stood up for the business community) held a long charade with these businesses, and said on numerous occasions, “how could we grant one if not all." Fair enough, but if that were the case, why did they accept our $150 “appeal fees” ($1,200) if they had no intention of granting any?

I recently counted vacant businesses on Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods. There are 25 today, and I suspect that number is growing. When we took our space in 1996, we had three locations to choose from. I think that our government could find better ways to deploy our resources than making it harder for businesses to operate. 

Finally, at the end of Monday night, the council appointed a replacement for the vacant council seat. Sixteen applications were submitted, and 16 resumes were supplied (including mine, a 25-year resident and 15-year business owner in Grosse Pointe Woods, a CPA with a masters degree). No interviews were conducted. (Mine or any of the other well-qualified candidates). It seems a fait accompli, much like the sign appeals.

Alan Domzalski

Grosse Pointe Woods