The parking lot at Roberts Market is now in compliance with terms in its conditional use permit after construction of a new fence bordering Channel Avenue completed Aug. 5.
Roberts Market, along with Lagerhead’s, Jerry Allen’s and King Neptune, was permitted in 2009 to charge the public for parking if it maintained conditions requiring trashcans in corners of the lot, an attendant to collect fees and monitor activity and fencing along the back perimeter.
“Staying up to code with the conditional use permit is our priority,” said Allen Middleton, co-owner of Roberts Market during an Aug. 8 phone interview. “It is just as important for us to run a successful business as it is for Roberts Market to be neighborly to the local residents of the business district.”
Beginning June 11, Roslyn Gregory, owner of 8B Channel Ave., and Tim Taylor, owner of 104 B N. Lumina Ave. were two of four residents who emailed town manager Tim Owens with concerns about trash and nonresident entry into the surrounding area as a result of the missing fence.
But, as Gregory and Taylor walked around the lot at Roberts Market Aug. 7 they pointed to the new 6-foot tall fence and expressed renewed feelings of personal security.
“The fence accomplishes our original goals as residents,” Gregory said. “It is taller than the old 3-foot fence so it will help to keep people from stumbling in our yard late at night and provide us with a little more security and privacy.”
Taylor appreciated the fast response from Roberts Market to get a new fence built.
“By the speed in which this thing was built, you can tell that they really want to help out as much as they can,” said Taylor. “I’m one block away, so I hope that the taller fence will contain some of the noise as well as any trash that gets caught up by the wind.”
Town manager Tim Owens and town attorney John Wessel examined section 155.7.10 of the Unified Development Ordinance before granting Roberts Market a fencing permit to build the 6-foot tall fence.
“It took a little while to get it straight because originally we thought that we’d have to go through a text amendment process,” Owens said during an Aug. 8 phone interview. “But, once we read the section again we realized Roberts Market could build the fence at 6-feet.”
Roberts Market was granted the fencing permit July 10.
“Looking at the finished product, I think they stepped up and went above and beyond what they were required to do,” Gregory said.
