Coffee, flower shop re-zoning rejected
By Brenda L. Schaefer, BHG News Service
Zoning issues have dominated the Wilton City Commission meetings in the last month or so. During the July 3 meeting, commissioners held a hearing to address a zoning request from Ben and Becky Perkerewicz to have a lot they purchased on the corner of Burleigh Rd. and 2nd Street re-zoned from a residential to a commercial lot. They are interested in opening a small coffee/flower shop at the location. Ben Perkerewicz explained that they are renovating the house, redoing the inside and putting on new roofing. He explained that because it is a corner lot, they have two possible entrances to the lot which will provide four parking spaces for the small business. He said, “We have other options, we can put it in so they can back into the driveway and pull into traffic without backing out. The couple shared that they don’t see the business as being a high traffic enterprise at this point, but believe the small business would add some flavor to the community. Because of the corner location of the lot, they could consider the option of putting in a drive through at some point. One drawing card for putting the business on Burleigh Rd. is the fact that the property lies on the truck route through Wilton. Mayor Ron Peck asked the Perkerewiczs, “Did you know that you were buying it to do something commercial?” Becky Perkerewicz explained that they were hoping to establish a small business in the community she grew up in and to which she had recently returned. She said, “We wanted to try to establish something besides two bars, a gas station, and a cafe for this community so the people have something else to do.” They noted what a nice touch a similar business was for Washburn.
