By OgdenLover
Gadi Leshem's abandoned Ogden River Project continues to be the biggest unabated nuisance in Ogden history. Over the years, it's remained by far the single worst eyesore/firetrap in town, but has of yet never received even a single Ogden zoning code citation.
Meanwhile back at the Boss Godfrey ranch, the City has cited an enterprising and self-funding Ogden entrepreneur, Kaffe Mercanatile, for its sandwich sign on Harrison. It's a tasteful, unobtrusive sign and the only way they can let people driving on Harrison know they exist. A copy is also up on Kaffe's Facebook page.
The City cared so much that they left the sentence about weed abatement right there in the citation letter.
The owners rehabbed an old eyesore on their own dime and made it an asset to the neighborhood:
But they are not FOMs, so we can see where truly investing in Ogden has gotten them.
Editor's addendum: We've said it before; and we'll say it again: Boss Godfrey is no friend to the Ogden City small businessman.
19 comments:
OgdenLover-
I'm a fan and supporter of Kaffe, but I do think there is more to the story. It is my understanding that as part of the agreement to open a shop in a residential neighborhood that Kaffe's signage would be minimal (among other things) to mitigate the impact on their neighbors (as they have very little parking and could easily become a nuisance). Unless I am incorrect, which I very well could be, this seems like an appropriate action by the City.
n re: Kaffe Mercantile: Seems to me the owners should be entitled to the same number of years of Mr. Godfrey and his Administration expressing "confidence" that negotiations with the owners will resolve any outstanding code violations that Mr. Lesham and his associates got with respect to code violations on their River Project properties the administration was "confident" would be resolved by negotiation. I figure that means Kaffe Mercantile should have at least another year and a half before the city acts on the sandwich board sign.
OgdenLover- Kaffe Mercantile is located in the mayors neighborhood. He lives less than one block from the business. He drives past the business every day on his way to work his miracles for Ogden city. It seems that many violations are only cited if they offend the mayor. There must be huyge areas of Ogden with similar problems but the mayor does not travel to those locations.
Dear Serfiant: Whatever you say, Boss Godfrey. The sign *is* minimal, and tasteful. Hey, boss, don't you want businesses to succeed in Ogden? Why do you hate Ogden so much, Boss Godfrey?
If there is an ordinance covering commercial signage on a residential street that applies here, it should be applied to Kaffe Mercantile in the same way it is applied to all others in similar circumstances. The problem for me is not enforcement of the sign ordinances [with which I have no problem], but the selective enforcement of commercial regulations, with one standard of tolerance apparently applying to Friends of Matt, and another applying to non-Friends of Matt. The problem, in short, is Hizzonah's penchant for Crony Government.
I bet if they would have had products on the sign like "Outdoor Mecca-Mocha" and "High Adventure Expresso" Lord Gadfly would have looked the other way
On their facebook page, the KM people said they asked and found out someone in the neighborhood called the city to complain about it ... any guesses as to which neighbor complained about it?
BB
The issues may not be the same, but it seems that good old Bruce Whatshisname down on 25th Street went through a long drawn out battle with the city over signs on his buildings - and won.
Perhaps if this company is subject to commercial sign ordinances, they can borrow Bruce's window signs about what a dope Godfrey is and place them in the windows instead of on the building.
Based on the pictures, the building and signs look pretty good compared to what that place and the immediate area has looked like for the last twenty years or so.
Maybe its the caffeine implied in the sign that troubles our dear high priest/mayor? Maybe if they changed the sign to NOKAFFE MERCANTILE the problem would go away?
This case is just one of many that Godfrey has stuck his nose into. Why I remember when I was the Construction Manager for the City, I was called into his office to have my butt chewed for improving 27th Street with new sidewalk and curb & gutter by the Troc. Although I chose to install asphalt between the sidewalk and curb rather than a zeroscape that no one would maintain, it did not please him. I showed him pictures that just across the street showing his 6" weed ordinance wasn't being enforced and the weeds were 3 feet high. Same thing down the street on the south corner lot. We did it his way and it took two years for the business owners to put a couple of rocks and very few plants in the parkstrip. Then there was the corner lot where Stimpsons used to be on 26th & Monroe. I was forced to install concrete improvements and had the Parks Department landscape the parkstrip, all costs to the City and nothing to the property owner. Have you been by there lately?
Now we've got the Kaffe problem only because he has made it a problem. Where's Gadi Lesham's influence when you need it?
As I said on their Facebook page:
They should've installed a searchlight.
Kaffe Merchantile sells Straw Ibis Coffee.
Straw Ibis Coffee is selected, roasted, and distributed by Sally and Randy Wirth, two of the nicest, most environmentaly and socially responsible business owners in Utah.
I know Logan is a bit north of Godfrey Dominion, but believe me, Straw Ibis IS NOT friends of the mayor.
All KM needs to do is start running real estate out of the back, and all would be forgiven. Have you seen the front yards of various rental properties this summer?
Serfiant, are you saying that a sandwich sign is not minimal?
@ Monotreme.... Install a searchlight! That is the best. Love it.
are you saying-
No, I'm not saying it is not minimal. I'm not bothered by it, but some neighbors were and it does appear to go against city code. I also don't like how some business owners in the community are treated differently than others, that is not right. Selective enforcement is an issue. I also think there is a way to get this resolved with the City - I hope the owners of Kaffe get a win out of this, not to mention the publicity they are getting out of it thus far.
As a friend of 20+ years the owners of KM. I know them to be good, law abiding, not-stir-the-pot kinda guys. Even know they still support the mayor and good he has done for Ogden. What I find perplexing is they have owned that business for a year and a half, the signage wasn't a problem then nor the 3 years previous to them owning it. What is up? There are sandwhich boards all over Ogden. All I have to say is it will all come back to roost right where it started.
Kaffe Mercantile is a genuine asset to it's locale. Young and old, alike, again frequent the refurbished, (former)neighborhood market. That building was an eyesore for a long time, now it's not. If the sandwich sign attracts customers, and helps keep the business operating, right on.
Why does the city condemn a small sandwich sign, but allow the continued appearance of that large, ugly plywood exterior, on the former Star Noodle? What an eyesore.
Ummmm....plywood on the Star....cause Scotty Doo is behind that one, that is why...
Was just downtown...how about the weeds growning on the big dirt area on the corner of 23rd and Washington....no violation there eh? and there is standing water...
Oh...thats because its owned by.....drumroll please...
OGDEN CITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
The previous owners home teacher was Mayor Godfrey, for one of the owners Mother. It wasn't a problem at that time to attract customers from Harrison.
They need to apply for a temporary permit, then infer legal action when they are treated any differently than a FOM.
What bothers me is that a complaint on this small sign by a neighbor is enforced when numerous calls on the weeds for Leshamville or Provident Partners properties goes without a fine or notice from the city.
What happened to the audit the city paid for a FOM to study the enforcement code office?
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