Fighting For Flowers: Community Rallies To Support Abigail Fox Designs

GREENWICH, CT — On the first day of spring, Abigail Fox put up a temporary flower display around the front face of her shop in Old Greenwich, Abigail Fox Designs.

With the current crisis in Ukraine, and the world still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox hoped the flowers would signify hope and joy, while adding beauty to the town and attracting customers.

Instead, the flower display has become a point of controversy in Greenwich.

The same day the arrangement went up, an anonymous complaint came into Town Hall saying that the display violated town zoning regulations. Fox's landlord received a letter from the town shortly after that stated the flowers needed to come down by Tuesday, April 5, or further action would be taken.

Once word got out last week, the community rallied to support Fox and her business. An online petition calling for Abigail Fox Designs to keep their flowers up has garnered over 1,780 signatures in about a week.

Fox believes the support has spurred the town to look into the situation.

On Monday afternoon, Fox and Greenwich Planning & Zoning Director Katie DeLuca had what Fox described as a "constructive conversation" regarding the flower display and possible solutions.

"We talked about different ideas that would definitely work for me, and also for the town to help the retail stores like what they did with the restaurants [and outdoor dining], even if it's something temporary like a year while everyone is recovering from COVID and for business," Fox said. "Then if it's something that doesn't work, they would have the flexibility to change it again."

The flowers, a combination of silk and real hydrangeas and dahlias equivalent to the price of wedding arrangements, remained in place as of Thursday. Fox said she was told by DeLuca she'd be in contact soon with more information.

Town regulations state that eye-catching devices, portable signage, banners, streamers and marquees are prohibited.

DeLuca said a permit process and review is necessary.

"We have had other people in town who have put in silk flowers or artificial flowers, and they were viewed by the committee as being absolutely hideous. It depends on how it's applied, hence the reason we have our Architecture Review Committee and a permit process and a review process and a set of regulations that one must follow," DeLuca said.

What Fox did with her arrangement is allowed for one, seven-day period out of the year, according to regulations, for events like a business opening, closing or a big sale.

During the holiday season, decorations are allowed for a period of 40 days.

"Those are the existing rules, neither one of which she complies with," DeLuca told Patch. "She's in clear violation of the zoning regulations and she has spoken to the town about making some potential amendments to the zoning regulations that will allow the kind of eye-catching device to be more permitted within the regulations... If that's something the community as a whole wants us to look into, certainly we can do that."

But there's a balancing act. If every business was allowed to display eye-catching devices, that would waterdown the intended effect and just create clutter, DeLuca said.

Coincidentally about three months ago, an outside consultant was hired to work with the town on updating signage and lighting regulations related to the town's 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development.

"We had a nice conversation about how the regulations work and some possible solutions. I thought she had some very good ideas about how that could be looked at in the regulations, " DeLuca said of her conversation with Fox.

DeLuca said she will speak with the Architectural Review Committee and the Planning & Zoning Commission to see if they want to take this up as part of what the department is doing with the outside consultant.

"We're just going to be in touch, and try and solve the problem that makes it right for the town as a whole," DeLuca said.

DeLuca dispelled a rumor that the Old Greenwich Flower Shop submitted the original complaint.

"I've understood that they've received backlash," DeLuca added, saying "it's not right" that another business was dragged into the situation.

Fox said she just wanted to make people smile with the flower installation.

"We put them up on the first day of spring, and our hope was with everything going on in the world, it was really just to bring some beauty to Old Greenwich," Fox said. "Flowers are such a sign of love, hope and peace, and that was all we were thinking. Our store is one of the first stores you see when you drive through town."

Fox said she was saddened and disheartened when the complaint came in. She has owned the shop, which sells apparel and gifts, for 15 years, and also has a location in Nantucket.

"It's hard having a small business with COVID and all the construction in town. The store does well, but it's a constant day-to-day working hard to keep it going," she said. "To think one person could do this..."

But the support from the community has been uplifting.

"I think the flowers are gorgeous. They brighten up the block and are a positive addition. Please let us have this beautiful storefront to view," said one Riverside resident in the petition.

"The flower installation is beautiful! Old Greenwich needs more of this; not less!" said another resident from Old Greenwich.

Fox said she's hopeful a solution can be met that works for all Greenwich retail businesses.

"The support has been absolutely amazing, and I honestly never expected this," Fox said, becoming emotional. "It has made me cry every day."