FERRYSBURG, Mich. — You might remember Beagleman's Patio and the issues they received last month.
The vegetable stand run by a couple in Ferrysburg was giving away free produce to the neighborhood but was told by the city it would have to close down due to a zoning violation.
The fate of the stand was finally decided Thursday night at a zoning meeting.
The decision was made after an hour-long discussion and outcries from the Ferrysburg community: the board will allow Beagleman’s Patio to give away its own vegetables.
For the past couple of summers, the owners of Beagleman’s have made it a mission to give back to the community it loves.
“It's the community,” says owner Skip Larabel. “It's the fun of it and it's a great way to bring people together.”
But when the notice came last month from the city that the stand had to close, it got the community ready to fight.
“Because I have seen a number of their neighbors that we know, and I hope that they see that there is more than one neighbor in support of what they are trying to foster,” says Molly Rajski. “And it's not just one neighbor upset about what they are trying to do.”
Ottawa
Barking Up the Wrong Tree? Beagleman's Patio faces zoning Controversy
People who complained argued Beagleman’s created problems in the area.
“The city planner advised that Nicole should provide off-street parking for the stand; that's literally all we want,” says neighbor Julie Cook.
But the traffic hasn’t been an issue.
“There's so much traffic that goes down on 168th all the time,” says neighbor Liz Nurmikko. “I don’t see any difference, no difference at all.”
But it appears one of the main concerns was that the stand was giving out produce brought in by other people in the community.
The city determined Thursday night the stand can continue on but with restrictions: they may no longer give away somebody else's produce.
“We will try to get them to see the reason on why including neighbors’ veggies on the stand is part of what we do,” says Larabel. “It's not just giving away the vegetables; it’s the participation and that's what really builds the community.”
The area’s planning commission will meet in January to decide if neighbors’ produce will be allowed at the stand.
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