Friday, September 28, 2007

Walter Griffith for Wilkes-Barre City Council


Walter has a website. And he is hot about a barber shop that has zoning problems.
Here is his take:
...I as a Candidate for City Council District A would work with the City to help make this type of Mom and Pop Business be welcomed into our City
...This is the same candidate that said at a South Wilkes Barre Business meeting that he wants to encourage small business ...

Where was Rick Cronauer when the City Council threatened the Master Chemical Co...and almost shut this 35 year business down and force them out of the City..
Where was Rick Cronauer when the City Council levied a 2.57% BID Tax on the Downtown merchants???
Why hasn't Rick Cronauer come to a City Council meeting regarding the Solid Cactus Co. moving out of Wilkes Barre ...

This City Council Candidate seems to think like the City Council and Administration that we have at the present time....maybe there is some truth to the rumor about how he won the Primary against a 2 term incumbent...




The following story is a shock to me...I don't understand the mind set here...a business wants to come to South Wilkes Barre and Rick Cronauer spearheads the charge to stop it....He is a member of our business community and wants to stop a small business from coming to the area...??????

I think this type of thinking is exactly what we don't need in City Hall...Lets try to encourage everyone to open a business in South Wilkes Barre ...not discourage them ...that was an old insurance office....there was a lot of foot traffic and parking...I wonder who the 10 residents were Tom Leighton, and his political "Boys" ...I guess it is more of the same in Wilkes Barre...where was this guy when they were trying to put Master Chemical out of business...??? I think these issues need to be addressed at the next meeting...
The city's zoning board rejected an out-of-town landlord's plan to rent space to two Spanish-speaking New York residents to open a barbershop at 198 Old River Road.


The board denied Brooklyn, N.Y., resident Paul Jacobs' plan last week after Rick Cronauer, the Democratic candidate for city council in District A; Bob Hogan, owner of the Riverside Cafe, and about 10 other South Wilkes-Barre residents opposed it. Jacobs hoped to rent the space to Mercedes Rodriguez, who would have been the manager. Jacobs was joined by a barber and his daughter at the zoning meeting. Cronauer, Hogan and other residents expressed concerns about a lack of parking on Old River Road and an increase in traffic.In its written decision, the board stated a change from an insurance office to a barbershop with two seats will "increase traffic generation, including both vehicular and pedestrian traffic."Jacobs said he doesn't understand the decision, asking why another barbershop was allowed to open in the neighborhood. The Riverside Cafe already brings in a lot of traffic, he said. Cronauer said he was skeptical about a new barbershop opening on Old River Road. He thought any future plan should be thoroughly investigated. Only one zoning member, William Harvey, voted in favor of approving the barbershop. Richard Chukonis, Hayden White and John Yencha, the Republican city council candidate in District E, denied it. Jacobs has 30 days to appeal the board's decision.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

remember a few years back in blogged about a guy who wanted to open a Barber shop and was denied becuase everypne accused him of being a drug dealer and I thought it was racism, but ti turned out he was a drug dealer anyway. this kind of reminds of it, but atyleast last time the people knew the guy and had suspicions, this time they dont know the people and i say it is a good idea to eror on the side of bringing business in the city.

Parking, how many people are in the barbershop at one time 5.

I am sure Illegal immigration was underneathe this. i am sure the barbershop owners are citizens, but thier clients could be a mix of citizens, leglas, and illeagls, I support mayor Lou's crackdown in hazleton, but illegal immigration is not a huge deal in W-B and if we are going to have some Illeagal they may as well have decent haircuts

Gort said...

Good point Bill. I think we can all favor well groomed immigrants.

Anonymous said...

www.savewilkes-barre.com

Anonymous said...

A few points, First, with regards to the proposed barbershop on the corner of New Elizabeth and Old River Road. My only question is...what was the legal reason for the denial? I'll tell you, HE DOES NOT HAVE A VALID PA LICENSE to own/operate a barbershop, which is what is needed. Second, if you feel that strongly about business in Wilkes-Barre, why is it you operate yours out of Nanticoke? I only have one wish for you Mr. Griffith, that the people of Wilkes-Barre Dist. A, speak loud and clear on November 6 and Vote for Rick Cronauer.