To the Editor,
567 years after the house of York went to battle against the house of Lancaster, a new war of the Roses has started. The town of Greenwich has gone to war against one of its own; ordering a small business in Old Greenwich to dismantle a stunning floral arrangement it had invested into its storefront.
Abigail Fox Designs has been in business for 15 years on Sound Beach Avenue. Over that period she has employed dozens of local workers, contributed to rent rolls, sales tax and payroll taxes. Her eponymous store embodies the essence of what a small business strives to be, and importantly, why people elect to move to villages like Old Greenwich.
For 15 years, she has decorated for holidays; from Christmas to the 4th of July and all that fall between. Her store, inside and out, has acted as a visual calendric celebration.
When the pandemic hit, she closed her store and worked hard to support herself through website sales. She personally drove orders all around Fairfield county in order to keep her business alive. To celebrate Easter 2020, she invited families to schedule visits from the Easter Bunny; and a 6 foot tall bunny visited children, at safe distances, dropping off baskets. The joy she has spread, even while under unthinkable stress, has been immeasurable. As we emerge from what has felt like a dark two years for brick and mortar retail, Abby has continued to think creatively to drive foot traffic into her store. There are only so many levers a one-woman shop can pull.
Inspired by the storefronts and restaurants of Manhattan and London, she reached out to a New York based design firm to install a silk floral display for her Sound Beach Avenue location. The cost was high, but as any business owner knows, capital investments are necessary for growth. Her impeccable taste is among the drivers of her store’s success; and trusting her gift for the aesthetically elevated, she elected for the expenditure.
So as to welcome Spring to Old Greenwich, the display was erected on Monday, March 21st. Photos posted on social media went viral; the impact was immediate and it was immense. The flowers are spectacular. Her storefront transformed from a stately presence to a stunning destination. Residents who had not been into the store in weeks or months, found themselves stopping in to express how beautiful the flowers were. Neighboring businesses commented on how lovely the store looked and how it enhanced the entire town.
Unfortunately, not all neighboring businesses felt this way and a complaint was made to the town of Greenwich. Please read that again. A complaint was made to the town of Greenwich over the flowers. Unbeknownst to Abby, and despite having decorated her storefront for the last 15 years, the town of Greenwich requires a permit for such decor. Permits are required for any exterior accessories, including dog bowls, planters, benches, window boxes, and in this case, a silk floral design that hangs from windows. As Abby learned last week, after 15 years of owning her business and decorating her storefront, the town does not enforce this rule unless there is a complaint.
The town has demanded she take down the flowers. They have told her she may apply for a permit but will likely be rejected. Had there not been a complaint, the town would not be involved.
Permits and zoning rules are necessary for any community that seeks to uphold standards; with the earnest intent of protecting existing businesses and property owners. These standards are important and over time, they help to increase the value of the community for everyone.
Unfortunately, this is where the town of Greenwich has faulted. In its effort to enforce a zoning rule (otherwise unknown to the business), under the guise of its protection, it is actively engaging in the harm of a business.
If Abby is forced to take down her flowers, we, as a community, have failed. We must ask ourselves what kind of town do we live in and indeed pay taxes for, when time and energy is spent targeting a small business for beautification? Today it is flowers. Tomorrow, it will undoubtedly be something else.
The role of government is to protect; the role of business is to produce. When government actively impedes on business, while it may sound hyperbolic, we bear witness to tyranny in its purest form.
Britain’s War of the Roses was a dynastic struggle; and Greenwich’s is a tyrannical one. On whose side would you like to fall? Please demand the town withdraw its order that she remove her display.
Concerned business owner, tax payer and lifelong friend of Abby’s,
Monica Ferguson
Greenwich
