Corner Brook -
Some residents of the Cobb Lane area in Corner Brook want the city to preserve it as a business-free zone.
Tessa May, who runs a small home-based energy healing business, is moving from Central Street to Hammond Drive and wants to take her business with her.
That prompted Harvey (Bud) Hiscock to circulate a petition. Including his own, there were 18 signatures on the document that reads: "We the undersigned would like the City of Corner Brook Planning and Development Office, the mayor and councillors to know that we are totally against any business being operated at 2 Hammond Drive, Corner Brook, NL. This action is being taken as a result of a public notice in The Western Star on Feb. 14 under the letterhead of the City of Corner Brook and submitted by city clerk Marina Redmond."
May responded with a letter of her own and which said parking and traffic for her small business would not be a concern as it was a by-appointment-only type of enterprise and she wants to build the business to about five clients a week - about four times her current workload. She said she won't be erecting a sign on her home to advertise the business, either.
She gathered the names of 20 people, including her own signature.
Hiscock said once the door is open, anyone can open a business. He said he'd prefer it were done without approval of the city - under the table - so it wouldn't set a precedent.
"It's a heritage site as far as I'm concerned," Hiscock said. "We don't have business there now.
For her part, May said she understands the reservations about having a business in the residential area. She said her business, however, won't have much of a visible impact on the neighbourhood.
"I see one person at a time," May said. "My practice is so small right now, I'm not seeing more than five people a month right now."
Councillor Josh Carey would not say which way he'll vote when the permit comes before council later this month. He said council will take a close look at both of the petitions.
"We've approved these types of businesses before," Carey said. "We've approved several in the last year ... We apply the policy to those particular decision-making processes, then we make the decision."
