A rough time for downtown Stafford

It’s been a rough few weeks for Stafford’s downtown—at least in my view. First, I learned via an Instagram post that Odd Cabinet Records was closing its physical doors. The post alluded to a disagreement with a landlord as the reason for the move. This eclectic shop, which draws people from all over the region, is a tough loss for Stafford. Meanwhile, just a few steps up Main Street, another smoke shop is getting ready to open its doors. 

I’d heard tell of a third smoke shop sniffing around Stafford’s downtown but was hoping the property owner would hold out for a renter that offers more to downtown, but alas, here we are. It’s hard to imagine that three of these shops, all within walking distance, are necessary or even profitable for everyone (and I’m not the only one asking that question). 

Predictably, there were posts in local social media groups about the boneheaded decision to approve this business. We all understand the sentiment, but the post is misguided. If a property is zoned for retail and a business fits within the existing zoning regulations, the Town doesn’t have to sign off on much beyond basic building and fire codes. So, if you, as a citizen, want to see a moratorium on smoke shops, it’s time to head down to the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC)—or maybe the Economic Development Commission (EDC)—and start asking for changes to the zoning regulations that could prevent any more of these stores from popping up. (Check out what Milford did here.)

Down the road at the old record shop, now with a “For Rent” sign in the window, a different story is playing out. 

In April, David Bacchiochi sold the property at 83 Main Street, which held Odd Cabinet Records, to a company called 8183MAIN ST LLC, which is registered to a PO Box in Ellington, per the Secretary of State records. Town records show that on the same day in April, Bacchiochi also sold 81 Main Street to 8183MMAIN ST LLC for $525,000. Mike’s on Main is located at 81 Main Street. Additionally, I found that Chris Wells and CW Property Management use the same PO Box in Ellington. (I reached out via the contact form on this page but had not heard back as of 8 a.m. on Monday.)

The principal—typically "the primary individual authorized to act on behalf of the LLC”— listed for 8183MAIN ST is Crownview Holdings, LLC with a business address of 1309 Coffeen Ave, Suite 1200, Sheridan, WY. I threw that Wyoming address into Google and stumbled upon “Why Stripe Bans Addresses like 1309 Coffeen Ave, Sheridan WY — And How a True Lease Fixes It.” According to the article, more than 65,000 businesses share this address. Why? Because “If you have formed a Wyoming LLC through a budget formation agent in the last five years, there is a meaningful chance your business is registered at this address — or one of a handful of addresses just like it.” According to paperwork filed with the Secretary of State’s office, the previous address for Crownview Holdings was 36 East Main Street in Stafford.

So, I reached out to Evan, the owner of Odd Cabinet Records, who said both properties saw rent increases after the new owner took over. He said the increased rent, along with dwindling foot traffic, made keeping the shop open untenable for this tiny operation. He told me, “I’ve observed that the roundabout side of Main Street tends to get much more foot traffic, and people don’t feel super compelled to wander past the two smoke shops, dilapidated theater, and abandoned buildings with raccoon families in them.” 

*Update: After posting this article, we received a Facebook comment from Jen Wells, who says the rent was not increased. Wells' name appears on some of the documents associated with 8183MAINST.

“The problem isn’t attracting businesses to Main Street,” according to Evan, “it’s the affordability of opening up a business on a small town Main Street that wants tenants to pay city prices.”

Frankly, he’s got a point. There’s a reason one side of the street seems to thrive, while the other doesn’t. On the south side of the road, there are property owners who care deeply about downtown—I’ve had more than one conversation with some of them—and want to give small businesses a chance, even if they don’t always make it. Most of them are small business owners themselves. On the other side, we’ve seen a number of issues from poorly maintained buildings literally collapsing to long-empty storefronts moldering. 

This is hardly a unique situation. Property owners are, in their own way, businesses, and they often make decisions based on their own bottom line rather than what’s in the best interest of the larger community. In the best-case scenario, these buildings would be sold to small-business owners with a vested interest in downtown's success, rather than to real estate investors. (By the way, if you're a small business owner, owning your building is often one of the smartest moves you can make. Mortgages are fixed, rent is not.)

The question that remains is: what can the Town actually do to ensure our local businesses have the best chance of thriving? Well, Odd Cabinet’s owner would have liked to see a Fair Rent Commission established. These are mandatory in bigger municipalities but not in small towns. These commissions are empowered to do a number of things to help tenants: “A fair rent commission has the authority to receive and investigate rent complaints, issue subpoenas, hold hearings, and order landlords to reduce rents for specific reasons. When a commission finds that rental housing does not meet local or state health or safety requirements, the commission may suspend rent payments until the housing is brought into compliance. Also, a commission may order a landlord to stop any retaliation against a tenant who makes a complaint to the commission.” Typically, these address housing complaints.

Evan was also dismayed that his own business was never updated on the Explore Stafford online directory, and said he hoped the EDC—and the Main Street Committee—would focus less on “engaging the youth” and more on practical solutions that would help small business owners. For its part, the EDC has been exploring a survey of business owners to find out what they actually need. But, in the meantime, Stafford has lost another business that made Main Street a more interesting and eclectic place.

A version of this editorial first appeared in Stafford Free Press' "The Roundabout" newsletter on September 14. If you want to get exclusive content like this and notifications whenever a new article posts, subscribe to our newsletter.