The Town of Oliver could have handled bylaw enforcement better in the case of A’s of Hearts pawn shop on Bank Avenue.
Here we have a young man from the Philippines who may not know the rules when it comes to bylaws and signage. So someone offers to jazz up his façade with colourful murals, which look like graffiti, according to some complainants.
Calls come into the Town and a letter is sent off to the landlord, who instructs the proprietor to cover up this artwork. Yes, folks, it was artwork, not graffiti under the definition. Although the argument could be made that it looked a little rough around the edges.
Agreed, Jet could have checked with the Town to see if this artwork was acceptable under the bylaw. But how many people actually become familiar with our bylaws? Very few.
But this situation could have been better handled by speaking directly to the shop owner, informing him of the infraction and discussing ways to rectify it.
Sending a letter to the landlord, akin to being a tattletale, may have been a little harsh.
As it turned out, Jet was not offended, and took the complaints as constructive criticism. At one in the morning he whitewashed the façade and started over with his murals of Main Street.
Jet is in the type of business where he is able to help people stay afloat, while trying to keep his head above water himself. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but as long as he can feed the kids, that’s enough.
The mayor is right, Oliver is often criticized for not enforcing its bylaws. Now it’s trying to enforce the rules in this case and is getting flack from at least one resident. You can’t win.
But sometimes it’s best to put down the law books and simply talk to people about a concern or complaint. Give them a chance to fix it before feathers become ruffled.
It’s ironic that people complain about empty storefronts in Oliver, but when a new business opens up, the complaints continue.
Fortunately this young man has learned from the experience and hopes to turn his venture into something sustainable.
