Four-Eight-Four [dot org]

The Wake Weekly has published another article, marginally about the demise of The Corner and more about the high cost of the grease traps required by new regulations brought on by the merger of the town water department with Raleigh’s corresponding department.

I’m a little more pleased with this one. While the previous article featured one “Mr. Beasley” from the Raleigh water department skillfully avoiding any discussion of the cost of installing a grease trap while casting about implications that Mrs. C just didn’t want to pay a $60 permit fee to the Town of Wake Forest, this one comes out and names the cost of installing such a grease trap … and since it does, I now don’t mind mentioning the figures myself.

The article says that Burkenstock’s, the other restaurant I mentioned that had closed because of the grease trap issue, would have had to pay $4,000 to $12,000 to have such a trap installed. The figure I heard for installing one at The Corner was just under $4,000, probably because it wouldn’t have been as large (nor installed underground) like the one for Burkenstock’s.

While I’m glad the issue is getting some press now, I fear it’s probably too late to save any businesses that are affected by the merger. More than likely, the majority of them have complied, or closed up shop if that wasn’t possible.

No matter what happens, I hope that Wake Forest gets another “The Corner” (it may well have one I don’t know about, since I’ve not lived in the area for two years). I know it’s sometimes hard to operate a small business like that in our world of chain stores, but I think it’s worth the effort. Wake Forest was better for having The Corner while it was there, and I’m a better person for my involvement with the operation.