[Rick Lee]

Ok, I read over the appeal documents they gave me and it looks like, while the process is a little different and more streamlined, any subject can be brought up, discussed and debated before a board. So, while my main goal would be to bring in a pro to discuss how property values have not suffered due to FFL and other home business activity (permitted or non-permitted), I could be thrown a curveball by a board member or another protesting neighbor.

Trouble is that my nextdoor neighbor is a buddy, I really like him, we look after each other's stuff, says the same Karen is making him want to list his house for sale and move out of an HOA. If I file an appeal, the City will plant another sign in my yard and I don't want that to cause problems if he lists his house for sale. And my not appealing for that reason kind of defeats my claim that property values wouldn't be affected. So I'm considering two other options.

Since ATF did not process my application and said they'd refuynd my $200 fee (which I've been waiting on for two months), I'm considering re-applying and just hoping my app gets assigned to an investigator who doesn't make me get the home occupation permit. I now personally know of three other nearby home-based FFLs who were never made to get the permit. Actually, one was, but he didn't have to do the notification letters to his neighbors or have the sign in his yard. So no one is the wiser and no one protested anything.

The other avenue is to find someone in charge of code enforcement and write a very strong letter about unequal application of the law and code, giving detailed examples of the other non-permitted businesses in the neighborhood, while citing my own app denial for trying to do the right thing.