Please sign our petition

[RawlingsHeating]

We are asking our friends in Bedford Township to please review and sign the petition linked below. Our long run and family owned business, Rawlings Heating & Cooling, has purchased the building at 9030 Secor and will be moving our offices there. We would like to get it rezoned back to the original C-1 zoning, allowing another of our local and family owned businesses, Quilt Heaven (currently located at 8177 Secor Road), to also operate there. The zoning was changed in the late 90's to allow a church to operate there, but the church lost the building to the lender. If you could take a minute to review and sign our petition, we would really appreciate it! Please support local businesses and keep them in Bedford! Thank you.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rezone9030secor/

[Hondo]

Signed it over the weekend at the Lambertville Ace Hardware.

[Domestic Goddess]

I would love to sign it.  One question....there is an awful lot of stuff that could go in a commercial property.  What happens if you get rid of the property or, (I hope not) pass away?  I know that parcel was commercial but that was before there was a master plan for development.  The other property in that area is commercial but there are homes on it.  I'd be very grateful for any answers.  Also, where are the petitions? 

[RawlingsHeating]

Thank you to those that have signed.

If you have questions about what can go there, go to the township website under "ordinances" - the left hand side lists ordinances. Scroll down to part 400. That will take you to zoning ordinances. Article 10 explains PBO (which it is zoned now) and Article 11 explains C-1 (which we would like to have it changed back to).   That should answer your question.

The south home that is zoned C-1 currently has a business operating out of it, and the other property that is C-1 has several other businesses in it, as well. The other one is a home that is currently rented out, but could be made into any of those C-1 businesses at any time as it stands now. They are not just homes.

We would just like it zoned back to the original zoning so that we can have a better, more convenient location for the customers of both of our family businesses.

If God forbid I were to pass away tomorrow, the businesses are still family owned and operated, and would not be closing down or going out of business.  I hope that helps.

The petition can be found online here:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rezone9030secor/    -or - you can contact Rawlings Heating (734) 847-0120 (or stop in our office) or Quilt Heaven (734)568-6607 (or stop in their shop) to sign a paper petition.

[StopTheBurning]

After signing it took me to a page that required me to set up pay pal and send somebody some money.
no thanks!

[PackersFan]

Are you going to do sheet metal work/manufacturing out of the building?
I guess I don't understand how your business would qualify as a
Professional Business Office (PBO).  Were you given a variance?

And I don't understand why your wife's business shouldn't qualify to
be in there.

I'll probably sign the petition...but I'll stop in the hardware to do it.  The site
for the petition isn't even a secure site.  Any of the information given could easily
be hijacked by the wrong people. 

I'd suggest getting some additional sites where folks can sign in person.

Good luck with your venture.

[RawlingsHeating]

Regarding the donation it requests - we were not aware of this, but we were told by another person who signed that all you have to do is close the window. You do not have to make any monetary donation to sign the petition.

Only our offices will be in this building.  All of our sheet metal work is done by us at another industrial building that I own in the township. 

My wife's quilt shop cannot go in there currently, because with the PBO she is unable to sell the fabric or notions.  We need the C-1 in order for her to make sales.

The petition is no longer at the hardware store; we had a few family members there over the weekend collecting signatures.  If you would like to sign a paper petition, you can come to our present location at 7215 Sulier Road, in the Bedford Industrial Park, or at Quilt Heaven, located at 8177 Secor Road in Lambertville.

Regarding personal information, the petition only asks for your name, phone number, and address (to verify you are a Bedford resident - only your name is displayed), and your email (which is your electronic signature and is not displayed). 

[Domestic Goddess]

Is that a promise you are making us?  I am totally on board if it is.  I was worried you'd either sell the building to another person who'd put something not so great in there or have many retailers in there.  It's great you are giving us this reassurance.

[Bedford News]

I have added the video of the Bedford Township Planning Commission Meeting of November 14, 2012 to the www.bedfordyes.com  web site.  This video may be useful in understanding the request for re-zoning of the parcel.   At this board meeting they recommended to deny both requests for re-zoning that were on the agenda including this parcel.

As they indicated at the Bedford Township Planning Commission Meeting, the request now goes on to the Monroe County Planning Commission for a recommendation.  It may be a good idea for residents who would like to speak on the re-zoning of this parcel to attend the meeting.  The final decision on the re-zoning will be made by the Bedford Township Board.  Click on the link below to view the details:

http://www.bedfordyes.com/BedfordTownshipAgendaMinutesVideo.htm#agendaminutesvideo



Here is a link to the Monroe County Planning Commission web page which lists the meeting schedule and the process for re-zoning requests:

http://www.co.monroe.mi.us/government/departments_offices/planning_department_and_commission/zoning.html

[RawlingsHeating]

All I can say is that this is what we had planned for our businesses.  We did not think it was a big deal and were taken completely by surprise at the meeting.  If the zoning doesn't get changed, we will have to make other plans for this building that are suitable to the present zoning, and that might not include our family businesses.  Please don't take this the wrong way.  This is an expensive piece of property, with high taxes, and cannot sit vacant.

[Domestic Goddess]

This was supposed to go to the county,did that happen yet?  I did not know you bought the building already. Just because I am curious, why would you buy a building that was not zoned for what you wanted to be able to do with it?  I was told that you did say that if you did not get it rezoned that you would put a methadone clinic in it.  I figured that I should ask you directly if that was true.  I guess if it is I am disapointed that you would do that to a place you profess to like so much as soon as you are not given your way.

[StopTheBurning]

I don't know a lot about zoning and rezoning but if the property was previously zone for what you are now asking and it was only changed to accommodate a church it would seem to be a no brainer to get it rezoned back.

[PackersFan]

DG...

What do you have against health facilities? 

[Domestic Goddess]

I asked the township and they said that the property was commercial a long time ago but since they did a master plan it isn't.  The lady told me that it was made pbo to allow the church to operate and that now that didn't need to happen for a church anywhere.  I don't have anything against health facilities and I am sure that all of you would welcome the high class traffic a methadone clinic would bring:)  We will probably need it because they just took my son's favorite officer out of the schools. 

[Domestic Goddess]

OH and if the quilt shop is REALLY all you wanted to put in why don't you ask for a "special use permit"?  That would allow your wife to sell the stuff but keep the zoning the same.  If you have another use you aren't telling us of course that would not help you but you repeatedly say that you ONLY want to run your heat businees and a quilt shop.