For those of you not on the Batesville Store email list:
THE DREAM HAS DIED . . . . LONG LIVE THE DREAM!
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Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,
Since June 10, the day that state regulators forced us to suspend our operations, we have set one goal for ourselves–re-opening The Batesville Store. The pursuit of that goal has not been easy, and there have been numerous times when we’ve talked about giving up. But then we would recall the astonishing support that we have received from our friends and neighbors in the community, and it would inspire and motivate us all over again.
We received more than seven hundred fifty emails of support. We heard personally from many of you. We received old-fashioned letters by way of snail mail. We read what you wrote on Facebook. We held onto the petition that more than five hundred of you signed the weekend after we closed.
How could we have turned our backs on all this?
We weren’t the only folks who heard from you. Local and state politicians were inundated with emails and phone calls. So too were county and state regulators. The public made their views known–and then some!
And you know what? It made a huge difference.
Shortly after our closing, Ann Mallek, the supervisor from the White Hall District, contacted us and offered her support. Ann has spoken of her commitment to working with rural communities to help them maintain and enhance their quality of life, and she means it. She has been awesome.
Within a matter of days, she arranged for us to meet with Ron Higgins from the County’s Zoning Department; Jeff McDaniel, the head of the local district of the Virginia Department of Health; and two of Jeff’s associates, Eric Meyers and Billy Craun. By the end of the meeting, we had come up with a plan, signed off on by Albemarle County and the Health Department, that would have enabled us to re-open The Batesville Store with only some minor modifications. Huge kudos to all these government officials for their willingness to work with us to craft a feasible plan. It was an excellent collaboration.
However . . . .
Yes, you’ve probably already guessed that there was a “however” coming.
However . . .
We lease the building in which we created The Batesville Store. Unfortunately, our landlord recently informed us that he will not allow us to make the changes that the county and the state require if we are to restore our operation. The landlord understands that this will likely mean that the building will only be permitted to house a convenience store which has limited seating and does little more than provide groceries for the immediate neighborhood. ? ?We obviously do not agree that this is the best use for the building, nor do we believe that it takes into account its historical role, which was to serve as the hub of the community and the home to many different enterprises and activities.
But it is our landlord’s building, and ultimately he has the final say.
Thus, we come to you with the sad news that we are not going to be able to revive the small slice of heaven known as The Batesville Store.
But–call us crazy, and haven’t you done so many times before?!–we still haven’t given up on our dream of making the magic happen again.
Yes, dear denizens of our future store, we are now seeking another building in which we can replicate what we achieved in Batesville. We have searched all over the region and have come across some interesting spaces. One building in particular has captured our attention–and our imagination. We feel that we can make great things happen there.
Acquiring a new place is not going to be easy, nor is it going to happen overnight.
But we believe that we can make it happen, and if we do, you will have a new space to hang out in–a place where you can enjoy Liza’s great comfort food and baked goods, kick back to awesome local music, and participate in the life of the community.
So stay tuned! We promise that if we are able to turn our dream into a reality, you will be the first to know!
Fondly,
Cid and Liza
I can’t understand the landlord’s decision:
1) Sit on a historic building for its intrinsic value with limited economic viability.
or
2) Adapt a historic building, making it the hub of community activity, and an income generator for the town.
I can’t imagine there are many other businesses that would be willing or could use the building in its current shape and condidion, be economically viable, and serve the community at large. My guess it that it’s probably going to sit empty or go through a number of ownership/management changes in the coming years as each investor loses money and decides to look elsewhere.
I’d love to have some more insight into the building owner’s decision making process.
Simple, he is a Virginian. Why change your ways. It worked 80 years ago, so….
Really simple, He was trying to make money his way and it just did not work… While there were those that liked the place there
were some complaints as well. The are two sides to every story. He chose to go public with his and flavor the facts. He could actually buy a building, invest in a community, or continue the
pity party he started. Credit should be given to the current owner for not contributing to this public drama…
Ed,
I think you might have something confused here. There is Norm Jenkins: the landlord:owner of the building. And then there’s Cid and Liza Scallet: the people who own and operate the business: “The Batesville Store.”
Norm Jenkins does not appear to want “The Batesville Store” as it was operated by the Scallets. He wants someone to run the store as it was many years ago: a place where you can buy a few groceries, etc. I don’t (and I think evidence has shown) that a “community store” is not a very good economic model in 21st Century Albemarle County.
Sid and Liza successfully ran a business out of that location, building a bakery/deli/music venue out of a “community store.” They generated income in a very difficult economic setting, for small businesses and in the economy overall. Frist, they were halted by the State of Virginia and now they’ve been derailed by the landlord.
If you read the Daily Progress article, you’d notice that apparently they are trying to purchase their own building, to start a new business along the same lines.
I’d love to see another economically viable business run out of the Batesville Store, but I think maybe even you would realize that’s not very likely. Credit should be given to the landlord for owning a building that has intrinsic historic value and only limited economic value.
P.S.
Could you compare and contrast your opinions of Re’N’Store and the Batesville Store?
Not confused at all. I am not seeing the land
owner complaining about the situation. I do
see a business owner exceeding the scope of
his business permit trying to look like he is trying to do everything right. The land owner is
within his rights and does not seem to want to engage in this silly public game. There are plenty of buildings for sale, all this guy needs to do is come up with the money. As for Restore N Station, they have already jumped through all the hoops and if they exceed the scope of their permit I am sure that there are people that are ready to cry about it. Two of the issues with Restore N Station concerned Parking and Noise.
This version of Page’s Store had these problems.
If they would of respected the chair limit they
might still be there… Restore N Station has not been built yet. Kinda hard to violate anything if you don’t exist. Your obsession got the best of you again…