More than 10 Morrell Park residents and City Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) showed up at the Zoning Board of Adjustment last week to oppose a plan to operate a business in a Morrell Avenue home. They went home with a “no decision” because the zoners granted a continuance to applicant Maureen McKeown after her attorney, Joseph Beller, said he needed more time to prepare.
McKeown needs zoning board approval to legally operate a skin-care business in her home on the 3300 block of Morrell Avenue because it is residentially zoned. She had gotten the backing of the Morrell Park Civic Association, but on Jan. 21, the first time she appeared before the zoners, four neighborhood residents with a petition of opposition, an O’Neill aide and the councilman’s attorney turned out to oppose her application. Zoners unanimously nixed McKeown’s request, so residents thought the matters was a closed issue. It wasn’t.
The applicant retained Beller, who claimed it was not a simple issue. He asked for and received a reconsideration. Zoners routinely grant such second chances when applicants did not have legal counsel their first times at bat. The new hearing was April 2, more than a month after reconsideration was granted, but Beller claimed he wasn’t ready and didn’t know when he would be.
Residents grumbled, and some said they would definitely return to oppose McKeown’s application at the next hearing. ••
