Beer garden will cost neighbors

Would you support a beer garden 60 feet (three car lengths) from your small backyard that will cause the value of your small home to drop potentially by 10 percent? Ron Pete’s takings at the beer garden will be at some serious expense to the near neighbors.

Would you support a beer garden in nonconformance with the restrictions on the property owner's deed and violates his covenant with the neighbors?

This is business creep, at the expense of the neighbors' quality of life and financial health – to the tune of a potential 10 percent loss in property value per home.

We are residents of the “blue collar” side of the Avenue with Jenks School, the Water Tower Recreation Center and the Bocce Club nearby. Unlike our typically wealthier neighbors at the other side of the Avenue, nobody here can afford to lose 10 percent of their home's value because an unethical business owner has chosen to violate the neighbors/property owner covenant and the restrictions on his deed. Maybe agreements with "blue collar neighbors" don't count here in Chestnut Hill?

You may ask, "How did you arrive at this percentage?" It is a ballpark estimate resulting from consultation with a local appraiser with 30-plus years experience, a realtor in the shore market with experience in how nearby bars affect both property values and a potential buyers' willingness to even look at a property, and another local realtor. Their combined opinion was that we should expect a reduction in value of 10-20 percent, regardless of market conditions.

You may be tempted to dismiss this because all property values are rising in our area. However, the value of properties with potential nuisance-use neighbors will not rise as rapidly as other properties. Should we decide to sell, we will have less money from that sale with which to relocate than would the sellers of a comparable property not located near such an establishment.

The bigger picture is that the tax base of all our properties will be lower, resulting in lower revenue for the city. The total loss of residential home value with 30 affected properties (17 houses on Ardleigh + 13 houses on Hartwell)  could be over $1 million.

Please come down from your editorial high horse advising peace and harmony, as you did two weeks ago in the Local; report all the facts and help us by seeking justice instead.

Mary and Dan Lau

Chestnut Hill

On the lookout for pets in hot cars

The very recent heat wave has raised a specific and recurring concern for animal well-being. The issue here is animals left alone in parked cars during warm/hot weather.

Multiple studies have brought out how quickly an animal can suffer permanent impairment or succumb to death when their body temperature becomes unsafe. You would be shocked. One study showed that even with all four windows cracked, the inside of a car can reach fatal temperatures.

One county animal shelter reported getting three to six heat-related calls a day for animal cruelty or animals in distress. Putting any animal in a potentially dangerous situation such as this is inexcusable and unconscionable – and preventable.

Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline once remarked that her law-enforcement specialty is dogs-in-hot-cars. She doesn’t hesitate to call 911 when warranted. Neither should you. There may be no time to waste.

Thirty states have already passed laws protecting animals from this dangerous practice. Five states are currently considering new legislation to protect these animals.

Pennsylvania is one. You, the reader, can help the state join the many others by contacting your state representative and senator, asking that they support legislation to protect animals from this danger. I recently contacted my State Representative Chris Rabb and State Senator Art Haywood.

Bridget Irons

Chestnut Hill