Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I was visited today by one of our local merchants who was very concerned about the future of his establishment. It was with some remorse that I had to tell him that some of his ideas to increase traffic flow within his business would not be in compliance with the Village code.
We do not allow for temporary signage or attention grabbing blow-ups that dance around in the wind. We don’t allow for goods, wares or merchandise to be displayed outside of the building. This is all in an attempt to keep our Village aesthetics from being diminished. We are very concerned with commercial architecture, signage and anything that might present a stigma within our community.
To sum it up, we hold retailers and all commercial endeavors to a higher standard than most of the surrounding municipalities. While this may appear at times to be a hardship to a particular business owner, we remind them that this is the very reason they chose Lake Grove for their business. A more upscale environment and neater look is appealing to the average consumer.
Several years ago I addressed this very same issue. While we do hold commercial properties to a higher standard, we should be cognizant of the fact that we should be supporting local businesses to keep them solvent. Whether it is purchasing gas, breakfast on the way to work, getting a haircut, or shopping for groceries, patronizing local businesses benefits everyone. We all want the convenience of having these establishments there when we need them. Let’s continue to support them for the good of all. Empty buildings and storefronts have a very negative effect on property values.
Thanks, as always, for your support in everything we do to keep our Village on the rise. Lake Grove has a great reputation as a desirable place to live and raise a family.
Respectfully Yours,
Robert Scottaline, Mayor
