The Guilderland Zoning Board of Appeals gave a massage therapy team permission to operate a home-based business at a Wednesday, Aug 6, meeting, despite vocal dissent from neighbors at a previous meeting.
Debbieanne Vigneri and Ruth Brown, now residents of 125 Birchwood Drive, are licensed message therapists, and applied for special permission to give messages at their home.
At a Wednesday, July 2, Zoning Board meeting, Brown and Vigneri faced opposition from neighbors over their request to operate the business out of their home. Many residents spoke out against the increased traffic the business would generate.
Neighbors at the July 2 meeting pointed to the stigma of some massage businesses and questioned the character of Brown and Vigneri’s clients.
Brown said the two have met some other neighbors who were not at the initial meeting, and they seemed supportive.
This was a great opportunity to educate people about massage, she said.
She said the ordeal served as an opportunity to show that the stereotypes about the massage business are not true.
None of the initial protestors attended the Wednesday, Aug. 6, meeting, where the approval of the home-based occupation was announced.
`We are really thrilled it turned out right,` Brown said.
The Zoning Board spent July researching the traffic patterns of other similar businesses and concluded that the residential occupation would not generate abnormal traffic patterns.
The board found a similar business on Warren Street in McKownville and said in the 10 years the business operated, neither the police nor the zoning board received any complaints about increased traffic.
They also determined that the traffic Brown and Vigneri will generate is below the average for the type house they occupy.
`The business seems like it will generate four to eight roundtrips per day,` said Zoning Board Chairman Peter Barber. `The average traffic generated from a single family detached house is 10 roundtrips per day.`
The board said that Brown and Vigneri must schedule at least one-half hour in between appointments, and clients cannot park on Birchwood Drive, in order to keep the traffic impact to a minimum.
The massage team was also told they are not permitted, by law, to use more than 25 percent of their residence for the business. They are using an estimated 8 percent.
`The town Planning Board had no objections [either],` Barber added.
Brown said the process to get approval was grueling, and she understands why some people do not go through with it.
She said, though, that the Zoning Board took a lot of time and made an educated decision based on the information, and was pleased with its effort.
`It’s really a wonderful example. [People] don’t have to fear the government and they don’t have to fear the mob,` Brown said, alluding to the dissenters at the July 2 meeting. `The first time it felt like a mob.`
She said she was impressed with the board for gathering so much information and for conducting such a thorough review.
Brown and Vigneri plan on formally moving their business into the Birchwood residence on Saturday, Aug. 23.“