The Wayland City Council Monday night almost unanimously voted to revoke a special use permit for the Lumberyard Events Center at the corner of Maple and Railroad streets.
The decision came after co-owners Mark and Marty Shepard missed the Aug. 1 deadline for submitting the site plan for the project, which, if approved, would provide a venue for weddings, special events and reunions and the like. It was proposed to go in at the historic former Smith Lumber & Coal, Wayland’s oldest business until it was shuttered in 2004.
One of the biggest problems for the Shepards was finding enough parking spaces at the site, as many as 300, without having to remove equipment.
City Manager Joshua Eggleston outlined a 90-day extension for the special use permit at an April City Council meeting, but said Monday night he could not recommend extension again.
“I think the direction (from city officials and council members) was very clear — to use the maximum amount of space for parking,” Eggleston said.
Mark Shepard said it was his understanding the city wanted him and his brother to fill all available spaces for parking, prove they would do what they said they would and show true progress in the project. He insisted they have and asked for another extension, this time to the end of September.
“We feel that if we don’t fill this lot, we’ll have to move our operations,” he said. “We don’t feel we have not done what you have not asked us to do.”
Marty Shepard added, “We’re just asking for more time.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Antel said, “I want this event center to happen. We gave them (the Shepards) an extension because we were between city managers (last spring), but I hadn’t heard anything from them until the Aug. 1 deadline had passed.”
She later asked, “At what point do we start enforcing the rules? Where do we draw the line?”
Councilwoman Lisa Banas said, “I want to see this happen, but I feel like it’s more like a breach of trust. You’ve never asked us for an extension of the Aug. 1 deadline. This has not been a good partnership, it’s been a lack of commitment.”
Marty Shepard tried to explain, “This is a lot of money for us to spend (more than $100,000). This is a lot for just two people to try to figure out… Give us two more months for us to prove we can do what you want us to do.”
Antel countered, “We have nothing to stand on if we don’t enforce our rules.”
Eggleston and Mayor Tim Bala said The Shepards could come back with another application, but the process would have to start all over again, beginning with the Planning Commission.
The vote was 5-0-1, with Councilman Rick Mathis abstaing because he has a business relationship with the Shepards and John Sloan was absent.
“We don’t feel we have not done what you have not asked us to do.”
Just exactly what does this statement mean? A very confusing choice of wording. It is not a double negative, but rather a triple negative.
Before you mock people you should probably know more about the facts on both side. They have put a lot of they’re time and money fixing up a eye sore that’s has been there for years.
Having to make another $100,000 investment in what was once a eye sore has to be thought about.
No one is mocking. I re-read the quote multiple times and still aren’t sure if I understand the triple negative.
The quotes chosen don’t seem to agree with the issues identified in the rest of the story. Why would they have to “fill the lot’? The story only says they did not submit a site plan by Aug.1.
Can’t do any thing in Wayland unless you are in the clique.
Not surprising my experience with Marty Shepherd Is that he promises what he can’t deliver.