VINTAGE NOVA SCOTIA
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Holding court
The Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival 56th Queen Annapolisa, Berwick's Nancy Woodworth, claps as the annual festival's colourful Grand Street Parade goes by. This photo was originally published on May 30, 1988.
The slow wheels of bureaucracy are creating frustration for the owners of a popular and long-running shoe repair shop in the town of Bridgewater.
Howard and Odette Van Tassel, owners of the Cobbler Corner on King Street, have operated their shop — which offers shoe and leather repair and also sells footwear — for 40 years.
The couple opened up shop in 1981, taking a chance to start a small family business as they raised their three young children in the town. Now, they're ready to retire, says Howard Van Tassel.
The original plan was to sell the business to another cobbler but, failing that, the hope was to sell the building itself to a new owner and then enter semi-retirement.
“We could sell the property and I'd still continue doing leatherwork at home,” he said.
This past summer, a potential buyer approached the Van Tassels with a plan to move her weaving business there, as well as offer classes to the public.
“She knew how we felt about artisans; we love to nurture that kind of thing, so we said, 'Yes, you'd be a perfect fit,'” Van Tassel said.
However, after papers were drawn up and the new buyer went to the town to get the proper permits, it was discovered the King Street property was zoned as special commercial.
That meant the property was only ever approved as a shoe repair shop, and would otherwise have to stay that way or revert back to residential use. A total of 18 properties in Bridgewater are zoned this way, as many of them are in residential neighbourhoods.
“A weaver wanted the property; she wanted to teach people how to weave. Seriously, that's the problem?” Van Tassel said.
SLOW PROCESS
Van Tassel brought the issue up with town officials; staff from the planning department then began the process of amending the land use bylaw to “provide greater flexibility” for all 18 properties zoned special commercial. The amendments would permit additional commercial uses for those properties, including craft workshops, dog grooming, studios, household repair services, and dressmaking and tailoring.
The process included public meetings, which took place in November, followed by a review and report by the planning department, which recommended the amendments. Town council voted in favour of those amendments during the Feb. 22 council meeting.
During that meeting, Mackenzie Childs of the town's planning department told council several options were considered, including rezoning the property to residential commercial. But she pointed out that particular designation would have permitted uses far beyond what was suitable for that area.
But even with the approved changes, both the Van Tassels and the potential buyer of the property, who spoke to council during the meeting, point out that there is still another barrier.
Lesley Armstrong told council that while she believes the amended list of approved uses will actually help “improve neighbourhoods' vitality,” she's concerned she'll still have to wait another three or four months before she can move forward with opening her business in the location. She'll still have to be approved under the town's development agreement to run the weaving shop.
“I was ready to buy the property, but now, the onus is on me, having to bridge finance for months, the waiting, the risk, the stress,” she told council.
Van Tassel said bureaucracy “is taking over” and common sense needs to prevail. He says the lengthy process discourages people from opening up new businesses in the town.
“People are concerned as to why — why are you doing this to small business, what's the purpose of it?” he said.
He said the pandemic has influenced people to “reinvent themselves” in terms of where and how they want to live and work, and thinks municipalities need to take that into account.
Just because there are rules in place, he adds, doesn't mean they can't be changed when the situation warrants.
“You can't take the rules you came up with (in years past) and say it's still an applicable situation to the growth of the town today,” Van Tassel said.
‘CHECKS AND BALANCES’
Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell understands the Van Tassels' disappointment and acknowledged the process is “not super quick.”
But he points out the formal process — these “checks and balances” — are needed in order to maintain the integrity of the neighbourhoods this type of property is located in. He said there can't be one set of rules for one property owner and a different set for others.
Mitchell says the original by-law was very specific and far too restrictive for those in the special commercial zone, so the amendments give property owners more options. Even so, any new owners of the Cobbler Corner's building that want to open up a different business still have to go through the development agreement – something that occurs dozens of times a year with other commercial properties in the town, he said.
“It's a very common process. Every municipality goes through this,” the mayor said.
Mitchell said the changes to the land use bylaw will mean an easier process in the future for the owners of the 18 affected properties if they choose to sell or change the commercial use of their property.