GEDDES -- The Zoning Board in Geddes has denied a special permit for a motorcycle club.
A group called the Sons of Sam wants to establish a spot in Geddes to get together and conduct meetings. The bikers are using a building on State Fair Boulevard to store bikes and merchandise right now, but they want to be able to stage meetings there.
Neighbors say they're worried about safety on the street, and about the presence of a Sons of Sam group. "My concern is what I see on the website and what they present on paper are two different things," says Lakeland resident Barbara Maestri, "When I look on the website and see the things that are there I find it a little more disturbing than the charity they present themselves as on paper."
The bikers' attorney. Benjamin Rabin, says the group is just looking for a place to hold meetings. "They have no intention of having a loud house or a bar. This is an area where they can get together and plan their charity runs, where they can sell or store merchandise to fundraise for veterans and people currently serving in the armed forces."
Rabin says there is a long list of reasons why the Zoning Board denied the permit. He says the group will meet this weekend to discuss whether an appeal is appropriate.
