01-28-13 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Area Board of Zoning Appeals—December 5, 2012 concerned with the health and well being of your residents and your children. I'm not a menace to society. I'm looking to better my future by starting this business. I'd like to add to the community. I don't want to add more destruction to it. I'm not here to run down your neighborhood or anything. I believe what I'm trying to do will be beneficial and will add some character to the area. And be on the cutting edge and propel things in the future in a positive way. I've always remained a professional. I'm well respected in my field. I bring a good crowd with me. I also as David Martin earlier, a lot of my clientele are respected professionals, doctors, some lawyers. I've been hired by the University of Notre Dame for my art work as well as some other respected places around town for my art work. (did not understand first name)tavern,Notre Dame, Muscle Fitness and More, which is a respected fitness and vitamin store in the area. I understand the concern with the tattoo industry coming into your back door and the stigma that's attached to it. I'm trying to take this industry as far as the tattooing side of things out of that negative aspect that people see it as when they see the word tattoo. I'm not about that. I'm a professional. I'm a family man. My wife and I are gardeners. We care about our community also. We care about our neighborhood and we care about the economic growth of business in South Bend area. And we think Mishawaka Ave. with all the different small business there entrepreneurship, why don't we deserve a chance too. Why don't we deserve a chance to make a difference and bring some positivity and diversity and economic growth to the area? I think I have just as much of a right and a chance to do good in the community as anyone else does and I just want to be able to do my part and thank you very much for your time. MR. VELLEMAN: I have one additional question for you? Is this the only property that you've looked at and ...? MR. WINDT: I looked at a couple of other ones even after we found this property. This property, the reason I like it so much is because it's kind of like a central hub for traffic. Mishawaka Ave. is highly trafficked. It's not far from the downtown area. It's not far from the university. It's not far from my home also. I want to be able to work at things with the community. Art Beat, I do that every year, downtown South Bend. The Arts Cafe, which is part of my neighborhood association, the Near Northwest Neighborhood. I started doing that this year. And I want to be in a location where I'm close to everything which is also part of a business area. I don't want to be a business smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood, there's plenty of other businesses there. But I have the word tattoo attached to my business name along with everything else I bring to the table. I'm a wholesome family guy oriented guy also. Yet in the petition letter it states that I'm seeking a Special Exception use for tattoo and body piercing. Yeah that's what I'm here for today. If I was just a local business that didn't require the Special Exception use for tattooing then I'd be opening a small business either coffee shop or something where I didn't have to be in front of the Board today. Because of the Special Exception Use, that's why I'm here. And to answer the question about the Facebook page, I wanted to create a page to promote my small business that I'm trying to create. Unfortunately it's either a residential address or the business address. Well I noted on the Facebook page that this is the business address that I'm trying to seek zoning for and I have a support group behind me and a lot of followers on the Facebook page that knew about the meeting and everything today. We have been promoting that. We have a lot of support behind us. Like I said earlier I spoke with the Dr. Pat Case of the president of the River Park Business Association. He invited me to his meeting next week. So I'm looking forward to being a part of this community and adding positively to it. And I Dope over time if I am approved for the zoning that the residents will see that and see the type of character I have. And that I'm not 48