People all over the world have started a wood work based business of their own.

Take Kenneth Shown for instance he started a business building pine boxes (coffins) and then found that his neighbours were not as happy about the business.

As usual it was noise, traffic and growth of the business that the neighbours disliked. He had started building coffins in his basement,and it took a bit of a zoning change to obtain the blessing of the local athorities. But it appears he's on his way. The local planning commission is allowing him to continue: with some caveats (conditions). He can't hire employees so expansion at this location is limited and he has restricted hours he can perform the work. Among other things and he must deal with the dust collection also. But at least he's on this way. Read some more..

Neighbors complain about business

Man plans to build coffins

By Brian Lee TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

SOUTHBRIDGE— Kenneth Shown, of 149 Ridge Road, could have gone underground in starting a home-based, coffin-making business.

Mr. Shown, a full-time design engineer building fuel cells for Acumentrics in Westwood, said it would have been easy to start the second career from his basement without going through town channels.

“You try to do the right thing, and you get beat up three times for it,” said Mr. Shown, who obtained a special permit from the Planning Board on Nov. 15, in a 6-1 decision.

But dozens of Mr. Shown’s neighbors said the autonomous Planning Board set a dangerous precedent that could allow noisy manufacturing to spawn in quiet residential neighborhoods like theirs.

They vigorously protested Mr. Shown’s venture through public hearings, saying they can accept home-based daycares, Internet businesses, even bakeries, but they oppose light manufacturing in their residential-zoned neighborhood.

Monday, the neighbors turned to the Town Council.

Delores Larochelle of 130 Briarwood Ave. told councilors she had moved from Pleasant Street to get away from truck traffic.

“What’s considered residential in this town?” she asked the council. “And if we’re going to start having this zoning where anybody can open up any type of a business anywhere, why have commercial, industrial, residential (designations)?”

Dr. John Tumolo of 289 Briarwood Ave. asked the council, “Will we be able to attract new home buyers if they cannot be assured that their neighborhood will remain residential?”

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