Allen Monuments

In yesterday's paper, the owners of Allen Monuments ran a big ad complaining that the County Commission would not allow it to build a new facility.(If memory serves me right, the new facility would be located right on South 10th Street.)

When each of my parents died, I went to their place to purchase a stone. Each time, I found the outside a pigsty, the inside a nasty mess (one time the carpet in the office was so saturated with water, it made a swishing sound whenever I walked on it), and no one was there, even though one time I had called in advance to let them know I was coming. Although both times I wanted to give their local company business, both times I ended up going to their competitor.(If you don't believe the mess, drive by it - that will make you a believer.)

In the past few years, our city has been allowed to go downhill so it looks like a mess. The last thing we need when a potential business that will create new jobs comes to our area, is for them to drive down South 10th Street and see the same kind of mess at the new Allen Monuments place that exists at the current one. I'm going to send a thank you note to the County Commissioners using the names and addresses the Allens listed in their Sunday article. I hope anyone else who wants to keep the looks of our area from going downhill anymore than it already has, will do likewise.

Opinion wrote:

In yesterday's paper, the owners of Allen Monuments ran a big ad complaining that the County Commission would not allow it to build a new facility.(If memory serves me right, the new facility would be located right on South 10th Street.)
When each of my parents died, I went to their place to purchase a stone. Each time, I found the outside a pigsty, the inside a nasty mess (one time the carpet in the office was so saturated with water, it made a swishing sound whenever I walked on it), and no one was there, even though one time I had called in advance to let them know I was coming. Although both times I wanted to give their local company business, both times I ended up going to their competitor.(If you don't believe the mess, drive by it - that will make you a believer.)
In the past few years, our city has been allowed to go downhill so it looks like a mess. The last thing we need when a potential business that will create new jobs comes to our area, is for them to drive down South 10th Street and see the same kind of mess at the new Allen Monuments place that exists at the current one. I'm going to send a thank you note to the County Commissioners using the names and addresses the Allens listed in their Sunday article. I hope anyone else who wants to keep the looks of our area from going downhill anymore than it already has, will do likewise.

There are nuciance ordinances for those concerns. I for one would like to know the thinking of denying a comericial zoning permit over the current agricultural zoning when another "COMERCIAL" property would bring in more revenue for the county. With business and populatoin LEAVING. Why would you deny someone who would be willing to INVEST in your neighborhood? Especially if THEY OWN THE PROPERTY ALREADY. Deny property IMPROVEMENT? Are you serious? Seems kind of backward thinking to me Surely the 100 or so signatures against the 5-6 in opposition should have been considered. How would you like it if some "board" told you what, when and how to use your OWN LAND? I believe there is more to this than meets the eye. I would like to hear BOTH sides to settle my mind.

wally515 wrote:

<quoted text>There are nuciance ordinances for those concerns. I for one would like to know the thinking of denying a comericial zoning permit over the current agricultural zoning when another "COMERCIAL" property would bring in more revenue for the county. With business and populatoin LEAVING. Why would you deny someone who would be willing to INVEST in your neighborhood? Especially if THEY OWN THE PROPERTY ALREADY. Deny property IMPROVEMENT? Are you serious? Seems kind of backward thinking to me Surely the 100 or so signatures against the 5-6 in opposition should have been considered. How would you like it if some "board" told you what, when and how to use your OWN LAND? I believe there is more to this than meets the eye. I would like to hear BOTH sides to settle my mind.

Before you get your dander up, you need to drive by their existing business and see how bad it is. It's little wonder that the people who would be living near their new place don't want the county to approve their request. Although you evidently are one of those " maintain freedom and rights at all costs" people, if their "JUNKYARD" was sitting next to YOUR property, I have no doubt you and some of the other 100 people who signed that petition would be the first ones at a County Commission meeting DEMANDING they do something about it. Maybe if they cleaned their present location up, they could demonstrate to the county that they could maintain a decent business - not a junkyard - on a very public road. The county may then approve their request. Like I said, before you make any comments, you need to take a field trip to Allen Monuments, otherwise, you are making comments and forming opinions without having first taken an objective look at all the facts.

The proposed office that Mr. Allen wants to locate at the intersection ot Tenth Street Road and Wingard Road is just that...an office. He doesn't intend to move the whole operation to the proposed site. Read the ad again...just a Sales Office. What harm could that be? He has said publicly that the other operations would remain where they are.

I have been past Allen's manufacturing operations, and Opinion is right in that respect, they could use some cleaning up.

I don't see the problem with Mr. Allen locating a Sales Office along Tenth Street Road.

Indy_Dick wrote:

The proposed office that Mr. Allen wants to locate at the intersection ot Tenth Street Road and Wingard Road is just that...an office. He doesn't intend to move the whole operation to the proposed site. Read the ad again...just a Sales Office. What harm could that be? He has said publicly that the other operations would remain where they are.
I have been past Allen's manufacturing operations, and Opinion is right in that respect, they could use some cleaning up.
I don't see the problem with Mr. Allen locating a Sales Office along Tenth Street Road.

Although the current plan is to move just the office to Tenth Street, there is nothing to prevent the Allens from accumulating new rubbish outdoors at their new site, at some time in the future. THAT may be what most of the people objecting to the approval fear. I'd say have the County Commission offer to approve the plan *** IF *** the Allens agree to the condition that the only thing outside of their new place (other than the typical driveway, plants, etc.) will be finished sample stones, none of the other type rubbish now outside their building. If they want to place something else outside in the future, they could request permission from the county to do so. If they have kept the new place clean, the county and their neighbors should have no problem approving their request. If the Allens indeed only want to put up an office, they should agree to this without any hesitation. If they won't agree with it, they must have some other plans, so the county needs to stick by its guns until it knows what those other plans are.

Just need to remind you "opinion" that they as LAND OWNERS do not NEED permission to trash the property. they do need "permission" to conduct business on the property as it is currently zoned agriculture. If they were going to TRASH the place, it would have already happened. it is my understanding they have owned the property for some time. Allowing them to generate revenue from what they already own seems like someting the County Zoning commission should have seriously considered. denying the change only denied us their taxable INVESTMENT. short cited if you ask me. then again, I am only looking in from the outside as I am not privy to why they denied the request.

Their property is not any trashier than a few other properties on tenth that I know of.

Well if you let the "Office" in the next thing you know, since the zoning would have to be changed, Mr Allen would legally be within his right to move the whole nasty operation to 10th and Wingard Road and it would look just like the current operation does. I can see the place and it would give a terrible impression of Independence not to mention the fact that we moved out of town to get away from just these type of things. Not on my block!

wally515 wrote:

Just need to remind you "opinion" that they as LAND OWNERS do not NEED permission to trash the property. they do need "permission" to conduct business on the property as it is currently zoned agriculture. If they were going to TRASH the place, it would have already happened. it is my understanding they have owned the property for some time. Allowing them to generate revenue from what they already own seems like someting the County Zoning commission should have seriously considered. denying the change only denied us their taxable INVESTMENT. short cited if you ask me. then again, I am only looking in from the outside as I am not privy to why they denied the request.

The new place is a farmhouse and some land on South 10th, not far from their current place. Since they trash their current place, the county and neighbors probably don't want them trashing another and far more visible place.

As I said to Indy Dick, a resolution that may be acceptable for everyone is to have the Allens stipulate to what will or will not be allowed to be scattered around their new place. The Allens could build their new facility, the county and neighbors wouldn't have to put up with a nasty eyesore (possibly have to take costly legal actions against the Allens to get them to clean up their mess), and the taxpayers would get the property taxes. That's not being short-sided, that's being realistic. You may do as I plan to do and find out specifically why the request was made since that information is part of the public records. You may also want to do as I have done and drive past both their old and new locations. That may give you a better foundation and insight on which to base your opinions.

Did Greg Bennett put up a 'business' building and was given the zoning for it AFTER Allen was denied? Not fair! Take your tax money to another county and city, people. You want to know why Tax Payers ( aka people who ACTUALLY work) don't want to be in this city-county!!??? Now you know!

Wingard resident wrote:

Did Greg Bennett put up a 'business' building and was given the zoning for it AFTER Allen was denied? Not fair! Take your tax money to another county and city, people. You want to know why Tax Payers ( aka people who ACTUALLY work) don't want to be in this city-county!!??? Now you know!

I have to agree with you on this one. How you're treated and what you can do depends upon who you are. This mentality exists with both the county and city and it is infuriating and unfair. As I have said before, I don't think the Allens would have trouble getting things rezoned IF the county and the neighbors weren't scared their new place would turn into another junkyard. The Allens have no one but themselves to blame for that.

Yes, the Allen's needs some cleaning up, but they're good people. Always willing to lend a hand. Donates to the commmunity. I've heard people talking about how trashy the place looks but nobody say anything about the quality of the work. Not like their isn't any other trashy places in town. I vote to approve a landfill on the corner of 10th and Wingard. Since their people against the buisness owners growing.

If I were the Allen's, I would now make that property my "Rock dump" I'd put every peice of rock debris I had there, and operate the office where they are currently... I believe rock is legal to dump still, is it not?

Neighbor across the Way wrote:

Yes, the Allen's needs some cleaning up, but they're good people. Always willing to lend a hand. Donates to the commmunity. I've heard people talking about how trashy the place looks but nobody say anything about the quality of the work. Not like their isn't any other trashy places in town. I vote to approve a landfill on the corner of 10th and Wingard. Since their people against the buisness owners growing.

After reading your post, it seems the Allens need to be given credit for all they do for the community. However, their contributions and quality of work have nothing to do with their place looking like a pigsty, which even you admit needs some "cleaning up". How would you like to have to look at that mess everytime you were in YOUR home of yard? You probably would dislike it every bit as much as the neighbors who would have to look at it if the county approved the Allens' request for rezoning. I think it would be helpful if some of the people opposed to that rezoning would explain on Topix why they were opposed to it. I think it would help shed some light on things so all of us could hear both sides of the story and make some fair conclusions.

Just Because wrote:

Their property is not any trashier than a few other properties on tenth that I know of.

If there are already a lot of trashy places on 10th Street, why would you want to add another one?

I'm not, just pointing out that there are many that are trashy and until there is a county ordinance against such things there is nothing that can be done to the property owners. If people care that much about these properties they need to band together and should petition the commissioners to have a county resolution outlining an ordinance on property cleanliness.

sorry ..has an ordinance..

Just Because wrote:

I'm not, just pointing out that there are many that are trashy and until there is a county ordinance against such things there is nothing that can be done to the property owners. If people care that much about these properties they need to band together and should petition the commissioners to have a county resolution outlining an ordinance on property cleanliness.

I have been down 10th Street hundreds of times and have seen some places that look a little trashy. However, there are NONE of them that look as bad as the Allens'. If there is a county ordinance on property cleanliness, the county should have enforced it on the Allens long, long ago. The Allens should be thankful the county has decided not to do so, but that shouldn't stop them from cleaning it up anyway IF they want to be good neighbors.

Years ago, when someone else owned the farmhouse and property where the Allens want to relocate their business, I always loved looking at it when I drove down 10th Street because it looked so pretty. There have been times since the Allens purchased that place that it has looked more than a little messy. The Allens have a track record of not keeping up the places they own. Their place where their business is now is a horrible mess. We don't need that eyesore on South 10th Street. Many thanks to the county commissioners for not letting it happen.

Do you mean the county zoning board instead of the commissioners?