Business & Tech
County Orders Chicken on the Roof Grill to Remove Chicken
'We take it down, and we have no business.' —Chicken on the Roof owner Patty Janowiak
Chicken on the Roof Grill in Joppa has been around for a few years, but it was not until recently that Harford County started squawking about its signature feature—the plastic chicken perched on the roof overlooking Magnolia Road.
"Someone filed an anonymous complaint with the county," said Patty Janowiak, who owns the business with her husband.
Harford County's Department of Planning and Zoning confirmed that it cited the business for not having a permit for its chicken and temporary signs.
"We take it down, and we have no business," Janowiak said.
Janowiak said that the vinyl chicken has been on the roof since 2011, and the previous owner never had a problem with it, claiming it was not a sign.
The previous owner, who is now the landlord, closed the business in October 2012 after experiencing flooding from Superstorm Sandy. Janowiak and her husband bought the business in January.
While renovating the building, they took the chicken down briefly. "We had people ask if we could please put the chicken up .... It has entertainment value for children," Janowiak said, noting that parents will pull up and look at the chicken with their kids.
Others wanted the chicken back in its position for another reason. Janowiak said a "couple of gentlemen" came by one day and said that they had a specific use for the chicken—as pilots.
"They said they look for the chicken and a little pond behind it" as a landmark when flying to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Janowiak said. "We put it back up that day, and we've never ever taken it down since because we know they use it."
According to Janowiak, Kohl's distribution center in Edgewood uses the chicken when giving people directions to its facility on Trimble Road.
She said that when she bought the business, the chicken was there, and she isn't sure why now she is having to pay the price.
"It is very, very costly" to file for a variance to keep the chicken, Janowiak said. She has had to retain an attorney, and the county said she will need to get the property surveyed as well.
"That is going to come at an extraordinary expense," according to Janowiak, who said the minimum for the engineer-drawn and certified survey that is required is at least $2,000.
After she files, the Harford County Board of Appeals could still deny her request.
Janowiak said the county alerted her that if she did not file for a variance soon, with the survey included, she and her husband could be arrested on a warrant for failing to comply.
"We bought this business a year ago and we have tried in earnest to make it a nice place for the community to meet and eat," Janowiak said. "The chicken is a big part of our business and a landmark in Harford County .... I believe the county is bullying us right out of business."
"Someone filed an anonymous complaint with the county," said Patty Janowiak, who owns the business with her husband.
Harford County's Department of Planning and Zoning confirmed that it cited the business for not having a permit for its chicken and temporary signs.
"We take it down, and we have no business," Janowiak said.
Janowiak said that the vinyl chicken has been on the roof since 2011, and the previous owner never had a problem with it, claiming it was not a sign.
The previous owner, who is now the landlord, closed the business in October 2012 after experiencing flooding from Superstorm Sandy. Janowiak and her husband bought the business in January.
While renovating the building, they took the chicken down briefly. "We had people ask if we could please put the chicken up .... It has entertainment value for children," Janowiak said, noting that parents will pull up and look at the chicken with their kids.
Others wanted the chicken back in its position for another reason. Janowiak said a "couple of gentlemen" came by one day and said that they had a specific use for the chicken—as pilots.
"They said they look for the chicken and a little pond behind it" as a landmark when flying to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Janowiak said. "We put it back up that day, and we've never ever taken it down since because we know they use it."
According to Janowiak, Kohl's distribution center in Edgewood uses the chicken when giving people directions to its facility on Trimble Road.
She said that when she bought the business, the chicken was there, and she isn't sure why now she is having to pay the price.
"It is very, very costly" to file for a variance to keep the chicken, Janowiak said. She has had to retain an attorney, and the county said she will need to get the property surveyed as well.
"That is going to come at an extraordinary expense," according to Janowiak, who said the minimum for the engineer-drawn and certified survey that is required is at least $2,000.
After she files, the Harford County Board of Appeals could still deny her request.
Janowiak said the county alerted her that if she did not file for a variance soon, with the survey included, she and her husband could be arrested on a warrant for failing to comply.
"We bought this business a year ago and we have tried in earnest to make it a nice place for the community to meet and eat," Janowiak said. "The chicken is a big part of our business and a landmark in Harford County .... I believe the county is bullying us right out of business."
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