A question that I do not know the answer to, and perhaps someone can answer it
for me, is whether all of the churches taking up abandoned store-fronts,
defunct theaters etc. have to get new zoning approval.
As many of these churches are in, or appearing in the commercial corridors
their presence does have an impact on the future of commerce. And since many
of these churches are, I presume, non-profit entities, they are not equally
supporting the commercial areas as businesses. So should they play an equal
role in the development of commercial areas?
And shouldn't the question be whether a business is well run or not, I would
agree that the PLCB does very little in making their stores attractive in
certain areas and policing activities around them (I believe an argument to the
privatization of the system). But instead of saying "not here" I think the
argument should be "you could be here if you follow certain guidelines and
participate in the neighborhood". A private liquor store owner would have an
interest in making sure the neighbors are happy, the PLCB doesn't care at all.
In this instance though I think the owner of the building is being unfairly
attacked for doing something with a vacant building, which a supposedly sizable
segment of the neighborhood may like.
I do not see why a well -run business and a mosque could not co-exist, even
with differences between their philosophies.
Vincent
