Weed planning commission approves 'Budget'

The old Dairy Bar building next to the Hi-Lo on South Weed Blvd. may soon hold another new business, with hopes that it will be more successful than past short-lived business endeavors housed in the A-frame building.
The Weed Planning Commission held a public hearing at its meeting last week before approving the use permit for the building to be used as a Budget truck rental that will eventually house a copy, fax, notary and printing service as well.

Brendan Butler has owned the property for 20 years and now lives in the apartment behind the business with his wife, Sariya (Yammy) Butler, who will run and eventually own the business. “The Clements’ owned this building first, then they sold it to the Watson’s who sold it to me,” Brendan said during a follow up interview.

Yammy hopes to be able to provide mailboxes and a Fed Ex drop off and pick up. She also wants to have a few computers available for use and the ability to print photos from a digital camera. “Since (Country Drug) closed, now the only place to print digital photos is in Yreka or Mount Shasta,” she said.

For now, however, the Butlers hope to open as soon as possible after the use permit clears and they complete the training procedures required by Budget. Once the truck rental gets going, they will open the copy, fax, notary and printing services on a limited basis. When business is established, they plan to add services as needed.

“I want to look around to see what is needed and try to fill a niche, and make it work,” said Brendan. “We’ll see where it all goes. We’re just taking small steps forward.” He is excited to put a business in the building again. “It doesn’t look good being empty,” he said. “I want to upgrade it, but it has to support itself because I don’t have the money (up front).”

Owning and running a business will be new to Yammy who has struggled to find work in this economy despite her Masters and two Bachelors degrees. She is confident in her ability to be successful at something new. “You just take it one step at a time, and everyone helps you along,” said Brendan.

Brendan also sees this as a morale booster for them as he has also struggled to procure steady work in construction. “I try to do things that will occupy my mind and not make me cry into my beard,” he said.

Since the Butlers live on the property, they will be available seven days a week (a Budget requirement) and 24 hours a day, with regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

During the meeting on Wednesday of last week, Brendan addressed the planning commission with a presentation of his proposal for the use of the property. He answered questions and addressed concerns regarding the limited amount of parking spaces that could potentially be taken up by large trucks, causing a parking problem on South Weed Blvd. Questions were asked by the commission and  Roger Ward, representing Siskiyou Development, which owns the Hi-Lo.  

Ward expressed concern that there may not be space for any car parking once trucks are brought into the lot. Butler said only a limited number of trucks will be in the parking lot, as necessary for business, and assured them that all the truck parking will remain on his property.

If a truck is not needed, it will be transported to another location to avoid a pileup of truck parking, according to the Budget business contract, said Butler.

Eventually, Butler hopes that renting cars will be the main business at Budget rather than trucks. “I see a limited number of trucks as practical, but I see car rentals as more lucrative,” he said. “The parking lot is good sized and it’s not going to have that many trucks.”

The Butlers expect to get things moving in about 15 days. “After the Budget representative comes up next week we’ll have a better idea,” said Brendan. “After that it will fall into its own natural timeline.”

Brendan and Yammy don’t see this new business endeavor as a risky investment, since they already own the property and their initial expenses will be minimal. “If it doesn’t work out, it’s only a little effort lost,” said Brendan.

However, he sees the services they plan to offer the community of Weed as needed. “Maybe it will encourage others to make the same effort,” he said. “It’s just a question of doing it and moving forward.”