The City Council's decision to allow a cigar lounge on Main Street is disappointing for two reasons. First, the Council is supporting, and indeed promoting, an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. Smoking, including cigars, kills. That's why it's been banned from restaurants and public places. The Council didn't just allow a business already permitted to proceed, it went out of its way to support and promote this unhealthy enterprise by amending the entire zoning law to allow this business.
The Council's use of the economic crutch to justify its actions was also disappointing. As quoted in The Leader [Dec. 4]: "Ricks said the decision to approve the use was an economic one." "We are trying to bring different things to Main Street that are going to be a success," he said. "It's us trying to work with people who are going to put their money in Laurel. We try to be as open minded about things as we possibly can while protecting the other citizens we have to protect."
I support new businesses in Old Town and am greatly looking forward to the new planned "Green Café," which plans focus on healthy food. This business is what we want on Main Street and is in stark contrast to a smoking lounge. I for one am hard pressed to see how promoting smoking — which is what the Council is de facto doing — is "going to be a success" for our community. That our City Council thinks any business is good business is short-sighted and is bad for business. It is certainly bad for a healthy community.
Karen Lubieniecki
Laurel