Yes, If it is not legal at this time because to the zoning then he should not be able to operate. The longer he operates the harder it will be to stop him. These are the City's rules and they should enforce them.

I have to wonder who is making business decisions for Bakers Towing?

Thank you Baker's towing for being the bad neighbor we rightfully feared you would be...

I can't help but note the irony that our fair city is worried about the possible disruption a few backyard chickens may cause but the wholly probable disruption that a 24 hour towing and storage lot in a residential neighborhood is no biggie. Where are your priorities council?

Who owns go to go taxi and where does he get free rent?

How can the other businesses up the street operate in a residential area?

@Papa: are they on the same side of the street? and how far "up the street" are you talking?

Majority Owner of go2go taxi, doron kutash, and not on city council and never have been. Pay rent for the office in the small business development plaza, and are a client of the small business development center a few doors down. Slander or lible is punishable by law, and for a lot of money. Please refrain, i am, and we as a company are working extremely hard for this community and have been for 5 years

Where is the outcry from the people who purport to care so much about Kent's residential neighborhoods and quality of life? Strangely silent, huh?

It is too bad that Mr. Baker had to leave his place of business, and it is too bad that he couldn't find another place appropriately zoned for his business, and it is too bad that to build somewhere would cost him a lot of money, but to do what he has done indicates a lack of concern for the law and the people in the neighborhood.

He would never get away with it at River Bend. But I guess that the City of Kent powers that be consider the residents of Steel Street to be some sort of lower life forms.

Any people who think something like this couldn't happen to them, better think again.

When I went to see it with my own eyes I couldn't believe it. The storage yard will literally be in these folks backyard. My understanding is is that the yard will be surrounded with an 8 ft fence with barb wire on top. Doesn't that soud like a nice place for your kids to play? If this passes I sure hope the City's nuisance laws apply and that the adjacent neighbors call with every infraction.

There are other businesses on this side of the street (2 I believe), but neither operate 24 hours a day and have a storage yard with 8 ft barb wire fencing. The neighborhood has offered to work to help find a more suitable tenant but no one has yet to take them up in their offer.

To top it off, this past week Bakers Towing has installed 3 metal fence posts that are about 8 to 10 feet high - on the front of the property facing the street.
This will be an eyesore and alot of in/out traffic as well which will jeopardize the children who play in the neighborhood as well. They park their tow trucks already partially blocking the sidewalk so passers-by are forced to walk elsewhere when trying to pass.
This was very poor planning on Baker's part.

So owning a home and paying all those wonderful taxes in Kent get you what?

So buying more land and building a garage would raise his prices, but what remedies do those surrounding this towing business have for their property values, pollution and quality of life issues?

quality of life doesn't change much if the business relocates twenty feet.

You think wrong.

you people are funny.

Folks, you are being goaded. Just don't respond to him.

thanks for speaking for me kit, i'll be sure to do the same for you.

Eye sore, what are you all talking about. You have a run down looking apt building, a run down body repair shop. Quite honestly a few of the homes on the street need a whole lot of work. This gentleman has been adding tax dollars for many years to the Kent economy. Your homes will still be worth the $70,000 grand they were worth when he was a few hundred feet down the road

Have you been on Steele Street lately? It is a tree lined street of lovely homes - most in the $120k - $150k range. And really, even if they were $70k homes, do people in less expensive homes deserve less than those in $300k homes?

Short sighted you say? I would say that the neighbors are looking at the long term future with their concerns. Short sighted is looking at the immediate small economic benefit.

"It takes a heap of living to make a house a home."

Perhaps the people in those houses are wonderful family people and are raising their children to be fine citizens. Perhaps they are learning music and literature and history. Have you ever considered that they perhaps actually have books in the house? Have you considered that perhaps they don't have the money to make their houses look the way YOU think they should? This seems to be a very tight-knit neighborhood with people looking out for each other. I find that to be a wonderful thing.

Maybe these people are doing "a heap of living." I think there are too many who equate the quality of people with the size and condition of the houses in which they live.

And, everything should not be about how much tax money someone pays into the government coffers. I have known many people in my life who have had very little money but are fine people. I would rather live next door to them than next to a snob who belittles others who have less.

I especially have a problem with people who, whether pro or con on this variance issue, comment without using their full name. These people should write to SoundOff in the Record-Courier.

Paul - You are right. I know nothing about Mr. Crock or his auto care facility. I'm sure he's a swell guy. I'm not calling his character into question. In fact his or Mr. Baker's character has nothing to do with this. This is about the law. And our zoning laws FORBID a business like this to operate in this location. It is rather arrogant and presumptuous to finalize a lease before you even know if you will be allowed to operate at the location. How did Mr. Baker and Crock know that their zoning variance would be approved? This seems like an awful risky and foolhardy business practice. I am a small business owner and I can't imagine agreeing to rent a place before knowing if it would be legal for me to operate there. Can someone explain this to me?

Kathy,
I am a lifelong resident of Kent actually. I am just playing devils advocate. It seems in Kent their is an instant "not in my neighborhood" mentality. Heck, the Riverbend folks sued to keep the canoe launch and parking lot out of their "neighborhood" when they knew from the creation of the development the Park & Recs planned on doing something there. Would I want a towing facility across from me? No, I probably wouldn't. I wish both sides of the argument good luck on whatever the decision is. I would choose your neighborhood over a "Riverbend" any day of the week.