CONNEAUT — Zoning officials in Conneaut have denied a local bait shop permission to clean fish on the premises, a move that might put the shop out of business, its owner said.
The city’s Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously agreed Thursday to deny Mark Kightlinger permission to add fish cleaning to the services at his bait shop at Lake Road and Broad Street.
Kightlinger said his family has operated a bait shop for more than 50 years and needed to add fish-cleaning to stay competitive.
“(Rejecting the application) would be like closing the doors for me,” he said.
Members sympathized but said his proposal generated opposition from neighbors. Four wrote letters saying they were unhappy with the plan, said William Cox, board chairman. The neighbors worried about odor and disposal of fish remains.
One letter-writer said he feared the smell of fish would sour the use of his patio during the summer. Another worried the activity would attract cats and other critters to the area.
Kightlinger said he would transport fish remains regularly to nearby farms and no waste would be stored on the property.
Neighbor Charles Shields attended the meeting to express his concern. Shields said he had nothing against the bait shop but feared fish-cleaning would create problems.
Board members said they have an obligation to the neighborhood, which is zoned for residential use.
“We can’t ignore (the complaints),” Cox said.
Once the board completed its vote, Kightlinger left the room without a word. He could not be reached for additional comment Friday afternoon.
In other business, the board approved a home occupation permit for Neil LaRusch, who sought to operate a Web-based research business from his Williams Street address. The operation generates no traffic, he said.
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