The question is whether the Bosma family from Maassluis can open a coffee shop on Grote Kerkstraat in Hoogeveen this fall. The municipality must still assess an application from Relax BV from Meppel from the administrative court in Groningen. An application was partly overlooked by the municipality.
At the beginning of June the bullet seemed through the church for company Q. from Maassluis. They scored the most points for a coffee shop on Grote Kerkstraat in Hoogeveen. Other candidates scored lower and received a rejection on the bus. If not the owner of the coffee shop Relax, with a location on the Prinsengracht in Meppel. He submitted an application for a coffee shop on Schutstraat and Grote Kerkstraat.
The owner only received a rejection for the location on Schutstraat, based on the distance criterion. This can mean that the location is too close to a school or a youth center. According to Relax’s lawyer, there is only a reception point of the Salvation Army nearby, just under 300 meters away. Relax rang the bell at the municipality, because what about their request for a location on Grote Kerkstraat?
The owner said he had not received a response. “Then there is one more thing to do: to court,” the man said. The judge was highly surprised. “Why was that second location not included in the assessment?” He asked two spokespersons of the municipality of Hoogeveen. They had to remain guilty.
Relax’s lawyer submitted a suspension request. This means that everything is stopped and the request of Relax is urgently revised. “That is also necessary, there is a letter of intent for a lease for a building on Grote Kerkstraat. And it will end on September 18,” said the Meppeler Entrepreneur’s lawyer. Short day, the municipal spokesperson believed: the chairman of the assessment committee is on vacation.
After a few phone calls in the corridor, she came back with a commitment: “Subject to change, the chairman is back from vacation on Monday.” The committee will meet on 3 September for a reassessment. A committee submits that to Mayor Martijn Breukelman, who ultimately has to determine who will get the permit final. The owner of Relax looks forward to it with confidence and withdrew the request for suspension.
The Bosma’s, who therefore left with the only coffee shop permit in Hoogeveen, were listening to the public gallery. They were surprised by the mistakes at the municipality and are said to be on the ‘reserve bench’.
“For us, it is now also unclear how to proceed,” said father Rob Bosma. They would prefer to renovate the building on Grote Kerkstraat, because the doors have to open in October. That is now on a lower level. “The only advantage is that it is now a construction trade and many things are still stopping.”
The arrival of a coffee shop has a long history. A council majority agreed with the arrival of two locations, but former mayor Karel Loohuis screwed it back to one on his last day. Several political groups were not happy with that, they asked the new mayor Martijn Breukelman to allow two places. He didn’t go along with that.
Subsequently, coffee shop policy was drawn up for one location and interested parties were able to report. Eventually it became the Bosma family of which father Rob and his two sons Bodhi and Rishi will run the place. They already manage a coffee shop in their hometown of Maassluis. A number of entrepreneurs in the Grote Kerkstraat do not see the arrival of the coffee shop, they fear nuisance. They have announced that they object.