Published Thursday, October 31, 2002
in jeopardy?
or close
Herald Staff Writer
The future of the Salvation Army's new thrift store is in jeopardy, thanks to one resident's complaint.
In September, the Salvation Army on Fisher Hill in Sharon opened the store after agency leaders were given a verbal OK by the city's zoning and code officer, Frank Smeraglia.
The city received one complaint about parking on the street which was brought to city council's attention, Smeraglia said.
"We were informed by the city that the store is in violation for our neighborhood," Major Ted Slye of the Salvation Army said. He said he was told Tuesday the non-profit agency has 30 days to file for a zoning variance or close the store.
Closing the store would mean four part-time employees will lose their jobs, the public will lose a service and the Salvation Army will lose the start-up money they put into the store, Slye said.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and there are customers in the store every day, Slye said. He said there is nowhere else in the immediate area to relocate.
Slye said the thrift store sells inexpensive clothes and much clothing is given away.
Smeraglia said he told Slye the city would allow a thrift store because the Salvation Army is a church and he considered clothing sales and distribution to be part of church activities. However, the city solicitor said a thrift store is not part of a church function, he said.
"It's unfortunate because the Salvation Army is so beneficial to our community. I hope we can work this out," Smeraglia said. He added that the agency has occasionally assisted the city in finding emergency housing.
Slye said he first learned about the parking complaint last week from a Sharon policeman who said the city heard complaints for several weeks but Slye said no one from the city contacted him.
Slye said he's baffled over why the complaints weren't passed along because now the issue has mushroomed from a parking issue into the future of the store.
"I'm hoping that the city officials recognize our purpose for the store is to provide a needed service and to help people," Slye said. "We thought that we had covered all of our bases before opening."
Slye said representatives from the Salvation Army and the city will meet, and then the local advisory board will decide what to do.
"If we're required to file for a variance, something the Army is willing to do, we will. We prefer not to but if that's the only option to closing we'll take it," Slye said.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at kgarrett@sharonherald.com