Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
A blight on the downtown core
Anyone paying attention as they make their way along the downtown retail sector recently will notice the new exterior paint jobs that have been completed at On The Lamb and The Passionate Cook.
Next to them, Woods and Woods clothing store has done some paint touch-ups that - while minor - succeed in making the storefront look even classier. If anyone hasn't seen the corner in front of Rutledge Jewellers, they are missing a treat - a veritable little oasis of colourful blooms in an array of plant pots. And it is not that long ago that the Roxy Cinema was given a fresh new coat of paint. Mark and Cathy Christoff, who own the Roxy, have also completely revamped the front of what was the original home of Strawberry Threads and now is the new home of Edward Jones, adding to the elegance of that stretch of street. I am also led to believe that the whole front of Low's Furniture is to undergo a major facelift later this fall.
This is all proof that our store and business owners care about the image they present and shows their pride in the community in which they operate. Such efforts must surely enhance the shopping experience for downtown shoppers. And who hasn't delighted in the whimsical "Keep Calm" signs, with their eclectic kickers, that adorn many of the shop windows.
At the other end of the retail stretch, BDO Dunwoody offers another oasis with their beautifully kept lot on the corner of Brock and Main, complete with shaded bench for weary walkers.
Yet, despite these efforts, there are three empty storefronts on Brock Street that are a blight on the downtown: the former Uxbridge Country Kitchen, the former Double H Cleaners and the former computer store.
They sit there drab, empty and dirty. In fact, the windows of the former restaurant are so covered with dust and dirt that someone with a limited knowledge of English literature has written numerous dirty words in the grime. This written garbage has been on the windows for some time and no-one has made any attempt to clean it off.
It doesn't have to be this way. Across the street, where Le Petite Fleur blooms, owner Heather Benjamin has solved the problem of an adjacent vacant store. Heather, who has brought a lovely touch of whimsy and colour to that stretch of road, dresses the front window of the vacant store until such time as a new tenant moves in. Ergo, no visible vacancy, no dirty windows.
Such a solution is not viable at the aforementioned vacant storefronts, unfortunately. And as they sit their in the grubbiness, it must be detrimental and disheartening to nearby store-owners who are trying to serve their customers and hoping to attract new ones.
So what to do about these empty stores that are beginning to become eye sores? I really don't know. Obviously the owners of the buildings in which these storefronts are situated care nothing about their appearance. But what about the BIA? As I understand it, all store owners in the retail area are required to belong to the BIA. Can't the BIA bring some sort of pressure to bear on council to have these grubby conditions cleaned up? Does council have any power to enforce at least some window washing? I don't know.
I do know, however, that the Township will have someone visiting your front door if you let your front lawn become overgrown or if you display an unauthorized sign on it. There is also a bylaw requiring homeowners to keep the boulevards in front of their homes trimmed down and free of litter. And I do believe the Township is considering a bylaw prohibiting residents from parking recreational vehicles and boats in driveways or alongside homes because they are considered a visual annoyance.
It seems to me that if council can dictate to home owners how their property will look - "for the common good" - it should be able to force the landlords who own the deserted storefronts to clean up their properties too.
Tell me, am I wrong?
