There has been a lot of press lately, and a lot of people who want to save The Book House. There have been a number of people calling for the City of Rock Hill to do something. What can the City do, legally?I'm a big believer in smaller government that stays out of the way of business. Less regulations, and allow for competition to determine what happens in the market, and at what price. It is competition that has led to many of the great inventions of our time.
First, The City of Rock Hill has not received any plans for construction on the site or an application for re-zoning (if required). If the business wanting to move in meets the legal requirements for the commercial business district, then there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
Second, the eviction of the Book House is a PRIVATE transaction between the business and the landlord. The City has NO influence on that, and should never get involved in a private legal transaction. I did mention to the owner (Michelle) to check what her lease says, as that dictates what can and can not happen with an eviction.
Third, Do I want a storage facility right in the middle of my City? No, but going back to my earlier points: government staying out the way of private enterprise, and do they fit the legal requirements for the site.
Fourth, My first responsibility as Alderman is to the ENTIRE City of Rock Hill. That means spending the tax dollars very wisely and ensuring our citizens are safe in their daily pursuits.
Fifth, The City does have a Historic preservation ordinance. If we were to choose to classify the building at this point, it would be seen by most any court as interfering with a private party transaction. While I will hate to see a historically old building torn down, I'm not willing to open the City up to a legal battle we have little chance of winning.
I will never say how I will vote on a particular ordinance or resolution before the Board of Alderman, until presented with all of the facts and having my questions answered.
The opinions expressed above and completely my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the City of Rock Hill or other elected officials.
If YOU are really interested in helping the Book House, the best place is to probably go to their Facebook page, see their Change.org petition (directed toward the City, and not the property owner), or donate to their Indegogo campaign (they may need legal help too). There is also a Rally scheduled (Rally to save Rock Hill's Book House is Tuesday)
Many of the articles about The Book House are not 100% accurate, but read them for yourself:
- Development Threatens Rock Hill's Book House
- Save independent bookstore in Rock Hill
- Book House Issues Call To Stave Off Eviction
- The Book House: Will Developers Demolish Historic Rock Hill Site For a Storage Facility?
- What Is a Bookstore?
- Storage Facility May Take Place of Rock Hill's Book House
- The Book House, a Rock Hill institution, is forced to relocate
- There are probably many more that I haven't linked to here. Feel free to submit links in the comments.
