County, Landowner Allow Sweet Corn Charlie To Stay In Business In Syracuse
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Sweet Corn Charlie will be at its Syracuse location to the end of its season after all.
"Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission, along with Parker Engineer Seals, have consented to grant us an extension to do business in our current location until Sept. 15," said Tami Mohler, co-owner of Sweet Corn Charlie, Wednesday afternoon.
"We're glad about (the extension). We're just trying to work with everybody and follow the rules." She said they've been happy with Parker Engineer Seal Division being their landlord as the company has been "good to us," she said.
The business is behind England's Restaurant in Syracuse on a vacant lot owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division. Sweet Corn Charlie's season ends Sept. 15 and began June 10.
Matt Sandy, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission assistant planner, said Syracuse Town Council chairwoman Barbara Carwile called the department and asked for the extension for Sweet Corn Charlie, and the commission "automatically extended that."
At the Aug. 20 Syracuse Town Council meeting, Chuck Mohler, also a co-owner of the business, told the council his business was set up and approved about seven years ago. The property, zoned industrial, went through several owners and is now owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division. Councilwoman Carol Koble said the county received complaints about roadside vendors and, after looking into the matter, the county plan commission told Sweet Corn Charlie's owners they were in violation of county ordinances. The Mohlers were given until Sept. 1 to move the business. Chuck Mohler told the Syracuse Town Council that Parker Engineer Seal Division was not interested in seeking a variance to allow Sweet Corn Charlie to stay on their property.
That's when Carwile said she would call the plan commission about extending Mohler's deadline until Sept. 15 and recommended Mohler call the county too and ask for a deadline extension.
Sandy said the property the Mohlers are selling their vegetables on is zoned Industrial-2. Under county ordinance, Sweet Corn Charlie is considered a retail seasonal agriculture sales business. Under I-2 zoning, there is no provision to allow such a business without an exemption hearing. If the property was zoned commercial, Sandy said, there would not have been a problem.
Sweet Corn Charlie is not the only vegetable stand in violation. "We've had quite a few of the seasonal vegetable (stands) like that," Sandy said. Other businesses have sought and were approved exemptions for this summer.
"It's been an ongoing thing. We've been trying to get them into compliance" as they were discovered, he said.
The community support for Sweet Corn Charlie has been "excellent, very great community support," Tami Mohler said.
Next summer, she said, they plan to relocate their stand somewhere else, hopefully in Syracuse, but details are unconfirmed at this time.
Sweet Corn Charlie also has stands in Warsaw, North Webster and Goshen, and their main market is in Millersburg.
Of their business this year, Mohler said, "It's been good. It's been a trial with the weather. It's been a lot of hard work but we get to be together with our family." [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Sweet Corn Charlie will be at its Syracuse location to the end of its season after all.
"Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission, along with Parker Engineer Seals, have consented to grant us an extension to do business in our current location until Sept. 15," said Tami Mohler, co-owner of Sweet Corn Charlie, Wednesday afternoon.
"We're glad about (the extension). We're just trying to work with everybody and follow the rules." She said they've been happy with Parker Engineer Seal Division being their landlord as the company has been "good to us," she said.
The business is behind England's Restaurant in Syracuse on a vacant lot owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division. Sweet Corn Charlie's season ends Sept. 15 and began June 10.
Matt Sandy, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission assistant planner, said Syracuse Town Council chairwoman Barbara Carwile called the department and asked for the extension for Sweet Corn Charlie, and the commission "automatically extended that."
At the Aug. 20 Syracuse Town Council meeting, Chuck Mohler, also a co-owner of the business, told the council his business was set up and approved about seven years ago. The property, zoned industrial, went through several owners and is now owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division. Councilwoman Carol Koble said the county received complaints about roadside vendors and, after looking into the matter, the county plan commission told Sweet Corn Charlie's owners they were in violation of county ordinances. The Mohlers were given until Sept. 1 to move the business. Chuck Mohler told the Syracuse Town Council that Parker Engineer Seal Division was not interested in seeking a variance to allow Sweet Corn Charlie to stay on their property.
That's when Carwile said she would call the plan commission about extending Mohler's deadline until Sept. 15 and recommended Mohler call the county too and ask for a deadline extension.
Sandy said the property the Mohlers are selling their vegetables on is zoned Industrial-2. Under county ordinance, Sweet Corn Charlie is considered a retail seasonal agriculture sales business. Under I-2 zoning, there is no provision to allow such a business without an exemption hearing. If the property was zoned commercial, Sandy said, there would not have been a problem.
Sweet Corn Charlie is not the only vegetable stand in violation. "We've had quite a few of the seasonal vegetable (stands) like that," Sandy said. Other businesses have sought and were approved exemptions for this summer.
"It's been an ongoing thing. We've been trying to get them into compliance" as they were discovered, he said.
The community support for Sweet Corn Charlie has been "excellent, very great community support," Tami Mohler said.
Next summer, she said, they plan to relocate their stand somewhere else, hopefully in Syracuse, but details are unconfirmed at this time.
Sweet Corn Charlie also has stands in Warsaw, North Webster and Goshen, and their main market is in Millersburg.
Of their business this year, Mohler said, "It's been good. It's been a trial with the weather. It's been a lot of hard work but we get to be together with our family." [[In-content Ad]]