HomeMy WebLinkAboutCountry Home No Good for Business-1995 /ts
DENNIS WN.T E ORLANDO SENTINEL
Zandi Morris' stuffed cows are country-cute, but she can't find a market for them in rural Geneva.
Country home no good for business
❑Zandi Morris' new rural va. Morris' cows and other crafts go benefits and whatever she can make
homestead is too peaceful— wanting for buyers. from her crafts.Morris,54,must work
p Sitting on the front porch of her out of her home because she is blind
she lost the buyers who kept rustic house surrounded by her cre- in one eye and cannot drive.
Crab business going. ations, Morris worries that she is go- For eight years, Morris built a ing to lose everything. cessnil business in a two-story house
Business is dead," she said. "I'm along S.R. 434 near Central Winds
By Will Welton sure people think we have given up." Park.
OF THE SEN She hasn't. Then came the road work.Widening
And,she hopes people will find her. the road to four lanes from State Road
"We've had 43 customers in eight 919 to Tuskawilla Road is scheduled
GENEVA Selling cute cow crafts months. I used to have that in one to start by July. It is part of$23.2 mil-
was easy when Zandi Morris lived day," Morris said. "Last December, I lion project to widen the twd4ane
along State Road 434. pulled in more than $10,000. This highway 4.1 miles to the Central Floi-
But the planned widening of the year,I've made$900." ida GreeneWay.
thoroughfare through Winter Springs Her husband, William, 59, injured Under pressure to find a new place
forced her family to move. In her new his back 19 years ago and cannot as 34-hr-
home home on rural State Road 46 in Gene- work. They live on Social Security Please see MISFORTUNE, K-4
9,5'oyoj
County law says Morris can't put up signs
MISFORTUNE from K-1 tamers. Several plywood animals, displaces them, has done nearly
last year, the Mortises picked a one saying "Friends Welcome," all it can, said Steve Carlton, a
house along State Road 46 in Ge- try to lure passing cars. DOT staffer who aided in the re-
neva, 7 miles outside Oviedo. 'They will let me put up all the location.
They selected the Geneva house yard trash I want," she said. "I Transportation records show the
after they were unable to find a just want a sign." state paid $176,599 to buy Morris'
house in Oviedo or Winter Springs Morris wonders out loud when old house and relocate the busi-
where she could run her business. her string of bad luck is going to ness. The state can pay another
Very few customers followed. run out. $3,122 in business costs, such as
Adding to Morris' frustration "It has been one thing after an- advertising,records show.
are county rules that forbid busi- other," Morris said. "This is a "They picked the house," said
ness signs in agriculturally zoned beautiful house. What good is it, Carlton. "It's out in the middle of
areas.Not knowing the rules,Mor- though, if you cannot pay the nowhere."
ris put up signs. She removed mortgage?" In hindsight, Morris wishes she
them after someone complained. The state Department of Trans- had chosen another spot.
Morris can put examples of her portation, which helps businesses "I would sell in a minute if I
crafts in her yard to attract cus- find new locations if a road project could find a better location."
7: WINTER SPRINGS
. Thefts/break-Ins
• Mimosa Court, 700 block, between
a ii'
7:10 am. and 1:10 0*.. . Some
one broke lib a • ii . a sate
valued at $100. •• n,.M::e'soc t of
sa4ngs bonds, $1,300 in cash and video
tapes.
Auto thetts/burglaries
• Edgeman Avenue,between 2:30 and
6 p.m. March 1. Someone stole the regis-
tration tag out of the rear window of an un-
locked car perked at a Iwuae.
• Mosswood Circle, 200 block, be-
tween 9 p.m. Feb.27 and 5 a.m. Feb. 28.
Someone stole the registration tag off a
car parked at a house.
Criminal mischief/vandalism
■ Pebble Beach Circle,1000 block,be-
tween 8 p.m. Feb.20 and 5 p.m. Feb.28.
gS 0 3 O J r Someone broke windows of a house,
causing an estimated$45 In damages.
Computer service theft
■ Brookside dive,500 black,between
0:51 and 10:43 p.m. March 1. Someone
someone illegally enter a ptate computer
network by phone five times during the
course of a day.