Hundreds of Ellicott City residents tried to stop Susanne Myrtue from opening a beauty parlor inside a house in their neighborhood: Traffic would increase and property values would decrease, they said.
But this week, a Howard County land use board voted 5-0 to grant a special exception to zoning laws. The exception allows a small beauty parlor or barber shop in a residential neighborhood.
That's just what the Howard County Board of Appeals should have done, said Carl Hawes, who described himself as Ms. Myrtue's boyfriend.
Within six months, Ms. Myrtue plans to move into the St. Johns Lane house of Mr. Hawes and his mother, where she will open Myrtue's Hair Design.
Mr. Hawes said he will build an addition on the side of the house and a parking lot in the front yard -- to be shielded from the street by trees. Ms. Myrtue plans to close her existing salon on Town & Country Boulevard in Ellicott City.
Reaction in the neighborhood, just northwest of the interchange of U.S. 29 and U.S. 40, was mixed yesterday.
Ruth Watkins, 71, who said she has fought about a dozen similar zoning battles during the past 35 years, was worried about more businesses coming to the street.
"It's been my experience in life," said the St. Johns Lane resident, "that the minute you start with this [allowing businesses in residential neigborhoods], it adversely affects the property values."
The Rev. Arthur Kent, a 49-year-old Methodist minister, is concerned that a sign would hurt the character of the neighborhood.
But Mr. Hawes said the sign will be modest and won't be illuminated. "I'm not going to tell you we're not going to put a sign up, because we are," he said.
His neighbor across the street welcomed the board's decision.
"What he [Mr. Hawes] tells me -- unless he's given me a big story -- is it [the salon] is not going to be noticeable," said Arthur James, 73, who has lived across from Mr. Hawes' mother since 1952.
Mr. James said he expected traffic to be minimal because the salon will only have two chairs.
He was not among the 450 people who signed a petition opposing the beauty parlor.
Mrs. Watkins, who was among the signers, said she intends to be "civil" about the outcome.
But she added: "I'm not happy with them. I'm not happy with what they did to the community."
