[4. Case 22-26 9798 Greenwell Springs Road To rezone from Light Commercial (C1) to Commercial Alcoholic Beverage (restaurant)(C-AB-1) on property located on the south side of Greenwell Springs Road, west of Platt Drive, on property now or formerly known as a portion of Lot C of the W.A. Henry Lee Tract. Section 26, T6S, R1E, GLD, EBRP, LA (Council District 5 - Hurst)]

CASE 22-26. CASE 22-26. 9798 GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD. PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD, WEST OF FLAT DRIVE.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 5, HURST. THE APPLICANT IS BERNARD KIBODI.

FUTUREBR LAND USE DESIGNATION IS COMMERCIAL. THE EXISTING ZONING IS LIKE COMMERCIAL C-1 WITH A REQUESTED ZONING OF COMMERCIAL ALCOHOL BEVERAGE C-AB-1. CASE 22-26. 9798 GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD.

STAFF CERTIFIES THAT THE PROPOSED REQUEST MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR A CHANGE OF ZONING, BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING USES AND CONFORMING TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIREMENTS. COUNCILMAN HURST HAS PROVIDED A LETTER OF SUPPORT, WHICH IS AT YOUR SEATS, AND STAFF HAS RECEIVED 83 MESSAGES IN SUPPORT TO THIS REZONING REQUEST.

WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED 24 MESSAGES IN OPPOSITION.

THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 15 MINUTES.

GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'M A MEMBER OF THAT COMMUNITY.

I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR 42 YEARS, AND I SAW MY COMMUNITY GO DOWN ON THAT AREA. GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD IS PRACTICALLY DEAD.

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY.

SO WHEN THE MAYOR BROOME, INVITED BUSINESS PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TO DO SOMETHING WITH OUR COMMUNITY,

[00:10:02]

WE WAS THERE. WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

SO ME AND MY FAMILY. WE WORK HARD, OUR HEART, OUR ONLY MONEY TO BOARD TO BUY THOSE VACANT BUILDINGS. AND BRING BACK THAT TO CODE THAT WE CAN HAVE PLACE TO GO. WHEN YOU'RE IN GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD IF YOU WANT TO EAT, YOU HAVE TO GO ON CHERYL FOSTER.

IF YOU WANT TO DRINK, YOU HAVE TO GO ON CHERYL FOSTER.

WE'LL GO FROM THE STREET. WE'LL FLOOD THE STREET.

THERE IS DEAD EVERY. EVERY PROPERTY THEY'RE MOVING.

TACO BELL CLOSED DOWN. SO WHEN THE MAYOR TOLD ME THAT IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, DO IT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF BRINGING THAT MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE ON CHERYL FOSTER.

SO WE DID SO. ME AND MY KIDS AND MY FAMILY. WE LOOK AT THE $3.2 MILLION TO BUY A BUILDING IN RAMALLAH, AND WE DID. SO WE LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY, SO WE KNOW WHAT IT IS.

AFTER WE FINISH IT, I TOLD THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCILMAN AND DARRYL, WHICH IS THE COUNCILMAN RIGHT NOW.

HE SAID, GO FOR IT. WE WENT FOR IT. PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

AS THE GENTLEMAN POINTED OUT, WHEN I TOLD THEM WE HAD A POSITION, THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO SEND THE LETTERS.

WE CAN WE CAN TRY TO FIGHT THIS THING. WE WENT, I GOT BEFORE ME BUSINESS AFFIDAVITS FROM THEM. THEY WANT US TO OPEN UP BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

AND WE DID SO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AFTER WE FINISH IT, THEN WE HAVE A SO-CALLED ASSOCIATION.

THEY NEVER CAME TO US. ASK US WHAT WE'RE DOING OR ANYTHING UNTIL WE FINISH REMODELING AND DO EVERYTHING WE GOT TO DO TO BRING BACK THE CODE.

NOW THEY COME IN TELLING US. OH, WE DON'T WANT THE LIQUOR THERE.

OH, WE WANT INSTEAD THE SOUL FOOD THERE. THIS IS NOT SOUL.

THIS IS A FRANCHISE. WE ARE OPENING A RESTAURANT WITH FOOD.

IS NON THERE. SO GO LOOK. GOOGLE APP CHECK IS NOTHING BUT WOODS.

WE PUT OUR CORE AND PUT THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I'M GETTING OPPOSITION. I'M DISAPPOINTED.

YOU KNOW AS A BLACK MAN, $3.2 MILLION DON'T COME JUST LIKE THAT.

YOU GO LOOK AT WHAT WE DID. BUT THEY GOT PEOPLE SET UP IN THEIR OWN WAY.

THEY'RE PUSHING THEIR AGENDA. OH OUR COMMUNITY.

I HAVE $3.2 MILLION OF PROPERTY THERE. YOU DON'T HAVE NOTHING THERE BUT YOUR HOUSE.

AND YOU CAN TELL ME THAT ALL THAT MONEY WOULD NOT GO TO WASTE BECAUSE.

SO WE WENT HOUSE TO HOUSE TO HOUSE TO HOUSE ASK THEM, DO YOU WANT THIS THING HERE OR NOT? THEY SAY YES. BUSINESSES. THEY SEND AFFIDAVITS.

HERE PROPERTY DILAPIDATED THERE. NOBODY IS THERE.

THEY DO NOTHING. ASSOCIATION, THE ONLY THING THEY KNOW EVERYTHING COME THERE.

NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM. EVERYTHING COME THERE, THEY TRYING TO BRING THAT DOWN.

AND THEY GOT NERVE TO COME TELL ME WE DON'T HAVE PLACE TO EAT.

IF WE GOTTA EAT, WE GOTTA GO TO CENTRAL. WHO? WE GOTTA GO TO FLORIDA STREET. WE CAN START IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

AND WE DID BEGIN TO START THAT. MY SON RELOCATED $1.2 MILLION OF HIS OWN MONEY PLAYING FOOTBALL FOR THE SAINTS.

[00:15:07]

HE GIVE THAT MONEY. THEY DO THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I GOT MY OWN MONEY. HIS BROTHER GOT HIS MONEY.

WE PUT IT IN HIM. BUT I'M DISAPPOINTED TO GET THE OPPOSITION.

I THOUGHT THEY GOING TO EMBRACE IT. SAY, OH, I'M GLAD YOU CAME TO THE COMMUNITY.

YOU ARE OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S GET THIS COMMUNITY GO.

NO, BUT THEY INSTEAD LATER WE USED TO HAVE A SHOPPING CENTER FOR GROCERY THERE. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TURNED OUT TO BE? WAREHOUSE.

SO THE PLACE WHEN YOU COME 6:00 IS THEY'RE DEAD.

COMPLETELY DEAD. WE'RE NOT OPEN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER CARD THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM FOR RHONDA BENNETT. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU GUYS. WE'RE HERE TO SAY, WELL, I WENT TO PARK FOREST MIDDLE BACK IN THE EARLY 80S.

AND I MUST SAY IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY. I ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE THERE.

I WAS BEAUTIFUL, NICE, NICE, NICE. AND TODAY IT'S LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.

WE NEED SOME EXCITEMENT TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE.

THAT'S ALL WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING. MY FAMILY STILL RESIDE THERE AND MY FRIENDS.

LIKE YOU SAY, WE HAVE TO GO ELSEWHERE TO HAVE A LITTLE BORE OUTING.

SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, SPORTS BAR ON A LEVEL.

THAT'S ALL WE ASKING FOR AND SEEKING FOR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. OKAY, WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER DARRYL HURST HERE WHO I'LL INVITE TO THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.

EVERYBODY EXCUSE MY ATTIRE. I CAME FROM ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT.

BUT WHAT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THAT THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS A TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT THAT WE NEED IN ALL NORTH BATON ROUGE, NOT JUST ON GREENWOOD SPRINGS. IF YOU DRIVE DOWN GREENWELL SPRINGS, THERE'S NOTHING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE DEVELOPING A GROCERY STORE, AND THERE WAS AN APPLICANT WITH 7.5 ACRES, LITERALLY NEXT DOOR TO WHERE HE'S MOVING TO AND ON NORTH SHERWOOD.

AND I SAID, WELL, GREENWELL SPRINGS LOOKS LIKE WORLD WAR III RIGHT NOW.

LET'S FOCUS ON AN AREA WHERE WE CAN DEVELOP AND THEN MIGRATE DOWN GREENWELL SPRINGS TO DEVELOP.

THE TACO BELL THAT HE'S USING IN PART FOR US, FOR EVERYBODY THAT KNOWS THAT HE BOUGHT THE TACO BELL.

PREVIOUSLY, HE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET, WAS DOING MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO IT.

IT LOOKED LIKE A THIRD WORLD BUILDING. HE'S DONE UPGRADES TO IT, BUT THE TACO BELL BECAME AVAILABLE.

SO HE MOVED HIS EFFORTS FROM THAT BUILDING TO THE TACO BELL BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER TO PUT UP AND BRING IN THE COMMERCE.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INSIDE THE BUILDING AND LOOK AT IT, AND HE HAS PUT TONS OF MONEY THERE.

IT IS A BUILDING THAT WOULD DO WELL IN ANY PART OF OUR CITY, WHETHER IT'S ZACHARY CENTRAL, BAKER, SAINT GEORGE, BATON ROUGE, OR WHERE HE IS IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS.

IT'S WHAT WE NEED. NOW HE FOCUSED ON THE NEIGHBORS FOR THE MOST PART BECAUSE THERE ARE TEN PEOPLE IN OUR POSITION.

BUT I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS MONTICELLO.

I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SURROUND THE AREA THAT ARE 1,000% FORWARD.

I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT IN SEVERAL COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE I HAD DISTRICT FIVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS.

AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE LIQUOR LICENSE THAT I WOULD ALLOW. AND I MADE THAT COMMITMENT FOR TWO YEARS ON GREENWELL SPRINGS BECAUSE I'VE DESIGNED, I'VE DENIED SO MANY. AND IT WAS HIS BUSINESS.

SO IT'S NOT A BAR, IT'S A RESTAURANT. THERE ARE SOME HESITANT HESITATIONS RELATED TO THIS LOCATION BECAUSE THERE WAS AN AFTER HOURS CLUB THAT WAS A NUISANCE TO OUR CITY PARISH. THAT WAS A PART OF THE SHOPPING CENTER IN THE BACK OF Y'ALL KNOW THE LOCATION WHERE THE WINN-DIXIE WAS.

WE WENT THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER TO GET IT SHUT DOWN BECAUSE THAT MURDER THERE A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.

SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS PTSD AND UNDERSTANDABLY HAS PTSD.

BUT WHAT WE NEED OVER THERE IS RETAIL, RESTAURANTS THAT ALLOW FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH.

AND WHAT HE'S DOING IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I'VE HAD SOME RESIDENTS I'VE TALKED TO THAT SAYS WE WANT IT, BUT WE DON'T WANT THE KIND OF FOOD HE'S SERVING.

AND I'M LIKE, WELL, YOU OPEN UP YOUR OWN RESTAURANT BY THE BUILDING AND DO IT YOURSELF BECAUSE RIGHT NOW HE CAN OPEN A VAPE SHOP.

[00:20:01]

HE CAN OPEN A LIQUOR STORE WITH HIS CURRENT USE.

HE CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT'S UNDESIRABLE TO THE COMMUNITY VERSUS SOMETHING THAT'S DESIRABLE.

AND THE FACT THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE A DAIQUIRI MACHINE IN THERE.

I SAID, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IF WE WOULD HAVE PUT A MEXICAN RESTAURANT WITH MARGARITAS? WOULD YOU HAVE ARGUED THEN. IF IT WAS WALK-ONS, WOULD YOU HAVE ARGUED? BUT THE PROBLEM IS THE AREA IS NOT INVESTABLE.

SO THOSE LARGE SCALE CORPORATE BUILDINGS WILL NOT COME TO THE AREA.

SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER TO INVEST IN THAT COMMUNITY TO GET WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME HESITANCY FROM THE NEIGHBORS AND I UNDERSTAND WHY, BUT IT'S EITHER HIM OR THE TACO BELL TURNS IN EVERY OTHER RAGGEDY BUILDING OVER THERE.

THE ONLY RESTAURANT THAT'S LEFT'S THE SUBWAY, AND THEY'RE LEAVING RIGHT NOW. HE'S TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM TO STAY. SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU IS THAT I'M IN SUPPORT 1,000%. I MADE A COMMITMENT TWO YEARS AGO THAT IF YOU DID IT THE RIGHT WAY, I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT. HE'S DONE IT THE RIGHT WAY.

AND WHEN HE FINISHES THE TACO BELL, HIS PLANS ARE TO GO RIGHT BACK ACROSS THE STREET.

HE'S BOUGHT ALL THREE PROPERTIES THAT SURROUND HIM BECAUSE HE WANTS TO INVEST IN THE AREA WHERE HIS KIDS LIVED, GREW UP, AND WHERE HIS FAMILY WORKS AND PLAYS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO. HE'S DOING THE RIGHT WAY. AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HURST. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE OPPOSITION.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER CARD IS FOR DEBORAH DOWELL.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, MA'AM. CAN I PASS SOMETHING OUT? CAN I GIVE YOU ALL A PACK? SURE. WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP IT. OKAY. OH, OKAY.

YOU CAN JUST HAND THEM TO COMMISSIONER ADDISON.

THANK YOU.

OPPOSING THE REQUEST FOR REZONING. I HAVE READ THE MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH INCLUDE THE WORDS ENCOURAGING ACCESS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

PARK FOREST IS A PART OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

AND HOW WOULD LIQUOR SALES ENHANCE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? THERE IS A LOCATION PROHIBITION. THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE, STATES THAT NO LICENSE OR PERMIT SHALL BE GRANTED TO AN APPLICANT WHEN THE PROPERTY UPON WHICH THE BUSINESS IS TO BE CONDUCTED IS WITHIN 300 YARDS OF A SCHOOL.

MY OPPOSITION INCLUDES SEVERAL QUESTIONS. THE PHOTOS OF THE BUSINESS AND GEO PREP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH HAS OVER 200 STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO SECOND GRADE.

HAS MEASUREMENTS BEEN TAKEN OF THE DISTANCE FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE APPLICANT'S BUSINESS? ACCORDING TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE. THE PLANNING DIRECTOR SHALL PREPARE A REPORT SHOWING THAT THE PROPOSED CHANGE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND SATISFIES THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE, WHICH IS ON PAGE 3-7 OF YOUR PACKAGE.

HAS THIS SECTION OF THE CODE BEEN USED IN DETERMINING REZONING? IT, IF MEASUREMENTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND SUBMITTED, WERE THEY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REVISED STATUTE 26281, WHICH IS INCLUDED ON THE LAST PAGE OF YOUR PACKAGE.

THE PHOTOS ALSO REPRESENT THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON PLATT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND I SPOKE TO MR. JESS, CLERK AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

THE MOST RECENT DAILY COUNT OF VEHICLES THAT TRAVEL BETWEEN JEWELL ROAD AND COMET RIVER IS 20,825 VEHICLES.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED HOW THE SALE OF AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES COULD AFFECT AN ALREADY CONGESTED ROAD OR HIGHWAY? HOW WOULD IT IMPACT THE INTEREST INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WHAT VALUE WOULD IT ADD TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? AS STATED IN YOUR MISSION STATEMENT, ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS SEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AROUND A DECREASE IN CRIME, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUE, AND A PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE WOULD WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

CONGRESSMAN, I MEAN, MR. HURST SPOKE OF MONTICELLO AND ALL THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.

WE'RE PARK FOREST. THERE IS A TACO BELL THAT MOVED DOWN ON THE CORNER OF MONTEREY AND GREENWOOD SPRINGS ROAD.

THERE'S A POPEYE'S CHICKEN. THERE'S A PIZZA HUT, I MEAN, A DOMINO'S PIZZA DOWN THE STREET.

SO THERE ARE RESTAURANTS AROUND THERE. WE WANT DESIRABLE BUILDINGS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND AS I LEAVE HERE, I'M ASKING AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE? WHAT WOULD LIKE? WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THANK YOU MA'AM. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. OUR NEXT CARD IS FOR ARE THEY PRESENT? OKAY. TAKE YOUR TIME. I JUST COULDN'T SEE YOU BEHIND THAT POLE.

[00:25:03]

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, MA'AM. GOOD AFTERNOON.

I AM IN TOTAL OPPOSITION OF REZONING 9798 GREENWOOD SPRINGS ROAD FROM C-1 TO C-AB-1 TO ALLOW FOR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. ALCOHOL, AS WE ALL KNOW, HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY VIOLENCE.

THIS PROPOSED BUSINESS IS AT THE ENTRANCE OF A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY THAT HAS ALREADY EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE, INCLUDING TWO FATAL SHOOTINGS WITH COUNCILMAN AS ALREADY MENTIONED.

THERE WERE COMPLAINTS OF FIGHTS, LOUD MUSIC, ILLEGAL PARKING, LITTERING TO NEARBY PROPERTIES.

DUE TO THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE PROPOSED BUSINESS TO THE SCHOOL AND NEARBY HOMES WE WISH YOU WOULD PLEASE CONSIDER NOT RECOMMENDING REZONING. IN ADDITION, THE FAMILY HAS SPOKEN OR THE OWNERS RATHER HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THE PROPERTIES AND THEIR INVESTMENTS INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUILDINGS THAT THEY HAVE BOUGHT. AND I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE TWO BUILDINGS THAT THEY HAVE MENTIONED ACROSS THE STREET ARE ALSO IN DESPERATE NEED OF REPAIR AND OR EYESORES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THESE ARE PROPERTIES THAT HE OWNS. AND HE SAYS HE'S WORKING ON THE INSIDE, BUT THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT HE'S ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT HE IS ACTIVE AND WANTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WELL, I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN PARK FOREST FOR 33 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN ACTIVE WITH THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION FOR THE ENTIRE 33 YEARS, AND I DON'T THINK AT ANY POINT IN TIME HAS THE HAVE THE RESIDENTS, I MEAN THE APPLICANT OR THE FAMILY MEMBERS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE ASSOCIATION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT CHORD IS FOR JACQUELINE ROAN LEAH.

JACQUELINE ROAN LEE. LEE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JACQUELINE ROAN LEE.

I SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE PARK FOREST CRIME PREVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU DENY THE REQUEST TO REZONE 9798 GREEN SPRINGS ROAD FROM A C-1 TO C-AB-1.

REQUEST, THE REQUEST IS ABOUT MORE THAN ADDING ANOTHER RESTAURANT.

IT'S ABOUT EXPANDING THE PROPERTY'S PERMITTED USE TO INCLUDE THE SALE AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO AN ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL AREA, ALONG WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER REZONING PROMOTES THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE, AND IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG TERM VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY.

THE PROPERTY ALREADY HAS COMMERCIAL ZONING THAT ALLOWS A BROAD RANGE OF BUSINESSES.

THE APPLICANT HAS NOT DEMONSTRATED WHY THE EXISTING ZONING IS INSUFFICIENT, OR WHY THIS ADDITIONAL ALCOHOL RELATED USE IS NECESSARY.

REZONING SHOULD BE BASED ON SOUND PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND DEMONSTRATE PUBLIC BENEFIT, NOT SIMPLY A PREFERENCE FOR A DIFFERENT USE.

THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CALLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, PROTECTS ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS AREAS AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR NEARBY RESIDENTS.

APPROVING A MORE INTENSE COMMERCIAL USE THAT INCLUDES ALCOHOL SERVICE AT THIS LOCATION IS CONSISTENT, IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THOSE GOALS. GREENWELL SPRINGS ROAD IS ALREADY A HEAVY TRAVEL CORRIDOR.

A RESTAURANT SERVING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE TRAFFIC, TURNING MOVEMENT, PARKING DEMANDS AND CONGESTION, CREATING ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONCERNS FOR RESIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS AND MOTORISTS.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO HAS FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL RELATED ESTABLISHMENTS.

FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, RESIDENTS ENDURED REPEATED DISTURBANCES CONNECTED TO AN AFTER HOURS CLUB IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM OUR METRO COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE BATON ROUGE CITY POLICE, CODE ENFORCEMENT, ALCOHOL, OFFICE OF ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO CONTROL AND OTHER AGENCIES.

DESPITE THOSE EFFORTS, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL A TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE FINALLY RESULTED IN BUSINESS CLOSING.

I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THIS APPLICANT WILL OPERATE IN THE SAME MANNER OR THAT HISTORY WILL NECESSARILY REPEAT ITSELF.

HOWEVER, THOSE EXPERIENCES DEMONSTRATE WHY REQUEST, WHY REQUEST TO EXPAND ALCOHOL RELATED USES DESERVE CAREFUL SCRUTINY.

AND WHILE PROTECTING NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS SHOULD REMAIN A PRIORITY.

THIS CASE IS NOT ABOUT OPPOSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

WE WELCOME BUSINESSES THAT INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, CREATE JOBS, AND RESPECT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.

HOWEVER, NOT EVERY COMMERCIAL USE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS LOCATION.

FOR THESE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO UPHOLD THE INTENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PLACE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF RESIDENTS FIRST BY VOTING TO DENY THIS REZONING REQUEST.

[00:30:03]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE AND YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO REMAINING SPEAKER CARDS THAT ARE MARKED AS IF NEEDED AS IT RELATES TO SPEAKING.

THE FIRST IS FOR LILLIAN GROSSLY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LILLIAN GROSSLY. I LIVE AT 3481 ALETHA DRIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE SUBDIVISION.

I AM VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO THIS ZONING CHANGE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT WILL BE PERMANENT.

SO THAT IF MR. KIBODI AND HIS FAMILY'S DESIRES DON'T WORK OUT, OR THINGS JUST DON'T HAPPEN THE WAY THEY WANT, THIS PROPERTY WILL FOREVER BE ZONED FOR POTENTIAL ALCOHOL SALES, AND NOBODY CAN CONTROL IT.

ONCE THAT ONCE THAT GENIE'S OUT OF THE BOX, IT'S OUT OF THE BOX.

THAT'S MY PRIMARY REASON. I KNOW MR. KIBODI FROM YEARS, YEARS BACK.

I'VE LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 1995. I'VE BEEN ACTIVE WITH THE ASSOCIATION.

I WAS THE TREASURER UNTIL RECENTLY FOR BOTH THE ASSOCIATION AND THE CRIME DISTRICT FOR THOSE 20 SOME ODD YEARS.

AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM AT ONE COMMUNITY MEETING, I HAVE.

FIRST TIME I MET THEM WAS WHEN THEY CAME TO OUR MEETING LAST EARLIER THIS MONTH.

SO SAYING THAT THEY SUPPORT AND THEY'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THEIR DEFINITION OF SUPPORT IS, BUT I HAVEN'T.

IT HASN'T BEEN VISIBLE BY THEM EVEN SHOWING UP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SUBDIVISION.

SO I JUST REQUEST THAT YOU ALL, AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO INVESTIGATE THOSE 83 IN SUPPORT OF TO SEE ALL THOSE REALLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE NEAR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I WOULD FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE.

AND I ALSO WOULD INVITE YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THAT PRESCHOOL AND THIS FACILITY.

I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S MORE THAN 300FT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL HOW Y'ALL MEASURE IT, BUT ME EYEBALLING IT, IT'S DEFINITELY WITHIN 400FT.

SO TO MAKE THIS CHANGE AT THIS POINT, I THINK WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO TO FUTURE HOMEOWNERS THAT MAY COME TO THE SUBDIVISION AND MAY CHANGE THEIR MIND BECAUSE OF THIS TYPE OF A BUSINESS.

I WISH THEM WELL, AND I THINK THEY HAVE OTHER OPTIONS WITH THEIR PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET THAT PROBABLY IS ALREADY ZONED TO ALLOW FOR THIS USE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND OUR FINAL COURT IS FOR DIANE LACY.

HI. GOOD EVENING. I AM A RESIDENT OF PARK FOREST.

I DON'T NEED THREE MINUTES BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO START REPEATING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID.

BUT MY PRIMARY OBJECTION IS BECAUSE WHEN THE APPLICANT CAME TO OUR MEETING LAST WEEK ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ASKED, WHAT TYPE OF RESTAURANT ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE? AND OUT OF HIS MOUTH CAME, OH, IT'S A SPORTS BAR.

WELL, THAT TOOK A LOT OF US BY SURPRISE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T EXPECTING.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS TO BE A RESTAURANT. AND MY DESCRIPTION OF A RESTAURANT.

IN FACT, I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE MENU GOING TO BE? AND BASICALLY HE SAID, CHICKEN AND FISH AND MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE.

SO THAT TO ME IS NOT A DEFINITION OF A RESTAURANT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S GOING TO BE SERVING OTHER THINGS TO GO.

AND I AM CERTAINLY IN FAVOR OF A RESTAURANT, BUT A RESTAURANT AND A SPORTS BAR ARE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I GUESS I ALSO HAVE TO QUESTION THE CODING BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO PRIMARILY BE SELLING ALCOHOL AND FOOD AS A SECONDARY, THEN THE CODE WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED TO A C-AB-2 INSTEAD OF A C-AB-1.

I, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FRONT DOOR OF THE OLD TACO BELL AND MY FRONT DOOR IS EXACTLY A HALF A MILE.

THAT TO ME IS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AND ADDITIONAL NOISE.

SO I ASK YOU, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO PARK FOREST.

AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE A BUSINESS.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A BUSINESS THERE BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVE IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

AND CERTAINLY THAT'S NOT A GOOD VISION FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

BUT I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING ELSE GO THERE. AND THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ON GREENVILLE SPRINGS.

[00:35:01]

POSSIBLY. I HAVEN'T INVESTIGATED, BUT JUST DON'T BRING IT IN OUR FRONT DOOR OR OUR BACK DOOR FOR SOME.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THAT WAS OUR LAST SPEAKER COURSE. AT THIS TIME.

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE APPLICANT BACK FOR A FIVE MINUTE REBUTTAL THAT HE'S WELCOME TO SHARE WITH ANY OF HIS SUPPORTERS.

HOW DO WE THANK YOU. TO HEAR ME COME HERE AND EXPRESS MYSELF.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? TACO BELL, FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I HAVE ONLY 30 PEOPLE. THEY TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC.

30 PEOPLE CAN FIT IN IT. THAT'S IT. NO MORE, NO LESS.

I GO MORE THAN THAT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE SHUT ME UP.

THE LADY JUST FINISHED SPEAKING UP HERE. SHE CAME TO ME COMPLAINING.

I'M GLAD. THAT YOU'RE OPENING, BUT YOU GOTTA OPEN.

SEE? MAMMA SOUL FOOD. THIS, AS A MAN, THIS IS A FRANCHISE.

OKAY, WE NOW GO TO TJ RIBS THEY HAVE A MARGARITAS THERE IN DARKNESS. MAN, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM.

WE ARE PUSHING FOOD. WE NOT GO TO SHAKE YOUR LEG.

DOCTOR SHALL. WE'RE NOT THAT. MY GOODNESS! WHAT CAN YOU SEE? WHEN CAN'T YOU SEE? WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET.

BY BUYING THE PROPERTY, WE PUT $600,000 IN IT.

AND SHE'S. SHE GOT ENOUGH TO COME TELL ME. OH, THE OUTSIDE LOOKING.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THE MAYOR CAME LOOK AT IT.

THE COUNCILMAN COME LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TELL ME? THAT DON'T MEAN NOTHING TO US. WE ARE THE. THE LAW OF HIM.

NOT ME. THE LAW IS HERE. EXCUSE ME, SIR, BUT YOU CAN GET PEOPLE WHO SIT UP ON THEIR WAY. POWER STRUGGLE.

I TELL YOU WHAT I HAD, A MAN CAME TO MY. WHY? I'M SMILING, SIR. LOOKING ME IN MY FACE. TOLD ME HE PUT $450,000 ON THE BUILDING OVER THERE, AND THEY DENY HIM JUST TO SELL SMOKE, AND HE WENT ACROSS THE STREET ON THE THE THE THE THE.

COME. COME ON. YEAH, I'M, I'M GOING TO TRY TO WRAP THIS UP REAL QUICK.

TJ RIBS IS A SPORTS BAR. WALK ONS IS A SPORTS BAR.

CHILI'S IS A SPORTS BAR. A SPORTS BAR IS NOTHING, IT'S A RESTAURANT.

I LIVE DOWN THE STREET, AROUND THE CORNER. I SEE TEN PEOPLE HERE.

YOU HAVE 80 PEOPLE THAT SAID YES, 20 PEOPLE THAT SAID NO THERE.

AND I'VE NEVER GONE AGAINST PARK FAS. THEY KNOW THEY'VE BEEN SOME OF MY BIGGEST SUPPORTERS AND I CALLED A LOT OF THEM AND I SAID, HEY, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BE AGAINST YOU ON THIS ONE.

WE CAN'T PICK WHAT KIND OF FOOD WE WANT. WHEN SOMEBODY OPENS A RESTAURANT AND INVEST THAT TYPE OF MONEY.

WE CAN'T PICK IF A MEXICAN RESTAURANT COMES, WE'RE HAPPY BECAUSE WE LIKE TACO TUESDAY, BUT WE DON'T WANT THE POTENTIAL FOR CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH COMES OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TO HAVE A PLACE AND GO AND WALK WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THEIR RESIDENCE.

SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT THAT SAME SHOPPING CENTER HAD A WINN-DIXIE THAT SOLD LIQUOR.

IT WAS THRIVING. IT HAD A NAIL SHOP, HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF. I GET COMPLAINTS EVERY DAY FROM THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE LACK OF RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS MAN HAS INVESTED $3 MILLION IN THESE PROPERTIES AND ABOUT $2 MILLION, I BELIEVE, IN THIS PARTICULAR BUSINESS. AND WHEN YOU GO INSIDE, IT'S PHENOMENAL.

WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY. THE ONE THING PARK FOREST KNOWS THAT I WILL DO. A RESTAURANT MEANS THAT OVER 50% OF THE SALES HAVE TO BE IN FOOD.

IF HE'S NOT DOING THAT, I'M GOING TO HELP THEM SHUT HIM DOWN. SO IF THEY DON'T, I STOOD BESIDE THEM A THOUSAND TIMES AND BLOCKED AND GOING TO THE ABC, BOARD AND ENSURE THAT CERTAIN RESTAURANTS DIDN'T HAVE THE APP.

NOT RESTAURANTS, EXCUSE ME, VAPE SHOPS, BARS, AND ALL THOSE OTHER ONES THAT WE DENIED DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP FOOT IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT A RESTAURANT IS WHAT WE NEED AND WE NEED MORE OF THESE.

[00:40:03]

AND I'M HOPING THAT HIS INVESTMENT CREATES A WILDFIRE THAT BRINGS MORE INVESTORS TO THE AREA.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WORLD WAR III.

AND IF NOT HIM, THEN WHO? AND Y'ALL MAY NOT LIVE OVER THERE, BUT I DO.

I HAVE TO GO TO CENTRAL TO EAT. I HAVE TO GO WAY TO CROSS FLORIDA BOULEVARD TO EAT.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF I, OF I-12. THERE IS NOTHING OVER THERE.

SO WE TALK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC. THE SAME PEOPLE THAT CARE.

I'M TALKING. PLEASE RESPECT ME. THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS.

ONE OF THE GROCERY STORE. WHAT IS THE GROCERY STORE GOING TO FILL UP WITH CARS? NAIL SHOPS, DRY CLEANERS. TEN TIMES MORE CARS THAN THIS RESTAURANT WILL EVER BRING.

BUT IF A GROCERY STORE WAS THERE THAT SOLD THE SAME ALCOHOL, YOU WOULDN'T GET THE SAME COMPLAINTS. THEY WOULD HAVE A HIGH FOOD SECTION.

THEY WOULD HAVE A LIQUOR SECTION BECAUSE THEY HAD IT, AND THEY WOULD HAVE CARS OUT THE WAZOO THAT WOULD HAVE WAY MORE TRAFFIC THAN GREENWELL SPRINGS HAS SEEN IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. SO EVERYTHING THEY'RE SAYING IS NULL AND VOID, BECAUSE WHAT THEY WANT IS NOT WHAT HE HAS TO DO WITH HIS PRIVATE PROPERTY.

HE'S GOING TO SERVE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN, FRIED CHICKEN, HOT WINGS.

I'VE SEEN THE WHOLE STAINLESS STEEL BARS WHERE HE HAS THE BOWL MIXING SECTIONS, AND THE DUDE HAS SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.

I SAID, GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY, AND IF HE DOES THE WRONG THING, SHUT HIM DOWN.

THAT'S IT. AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU ALL TO GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IT'S WHAT WE NEED. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. COMMISSION MEMBERS, AT THIS TIME, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE INVITING ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WITH THIS ITEM.

DIRECTOR HOLCOMB, A LOT OF FOCUS OF THE OPPOSITION HAS BEEN ON THE SALE OF ALCOHOL.

WOULD YOU MIND KIND OF CLARIFYING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT AROUND THIS REQUEST OF REZONING? CLARIFYING WHAT THE CURRENT USES ARE AND HOW THOSE CONTRAST WITH THE REQUESTED ZONING.

AND ALSO WAS MENTIONED THAT THIS REZONING IS FOR C-AB-1 VERSUS A C-AB-2.

SO FURTHER TALK ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS AS THEY RELATE TO C-AB-1 VERSUS C-AB-2 AND ANY REGULATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.

CERTAINLY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE CONVERSATION. MY STAFF AND I HAVE TALKED TO A HANDFUL OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE CALLED MY OFFICE EXPLAINED SOME OF THE NUANCES BETWEEN THE ZONING CODE, THE EXISTING ZONING VERSUS THE PROPOSED ZONING.

THE CURRENT ZONING IS LIKE COMMERCIAL C-1. C-1 USES ARE GENERAL RETAIL, LIKE COMMERCIAL USES, WHICH CAN INCLUDE A VARIETY OF RETAIL SALES. IT CAN INCLUDE 100% LIQUOR STORE SALES.

PACKAGED LIQUOR STORE SALES WOULD NOT REQUIRE REZONING.

THERE'S NO PERCENTAGE REQUIREMENT. IT COULD BE 100% ALCOHOL SALES.

WITHOUT A REZONING, THEY WOULD GO STRAIGHT TO THE ABC OFFICE AND FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK AND HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THERE.

C-1 ALSO ALLOWS, IN ADDITION TO GENERAL RETAIL TATTOO PARLORS, VAPE STORES, GENERAL OFFICES, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER SMALL OR MEDIUM SCALE COMMERCIAL USES.

I CAN GO INTO SOME OF THOSE SPECIFICS LATER IF NEEDED.

THE REQUESTED ZONING C-AB-1. FOR BATON ROUGE, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, C-AB-1 IS COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE ONE.

THIS IS THE ZONING DISTRICT INTENDED FOR RESTAURANTS, NOT BARS.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATION MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO.

THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC ENFORCEABLE REQUIREMENTS TIED TO C-AB-1 VERSUS C-AB-2, WHICH IS BAR AND LOUNGE.

C-AB-1, WHICH IS RESTAURANTS. ALTHOUGH IT'S INTENDED FOR BUSINESSES FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BEVERAGES AT A LIMITED LIMIT SET BY THE CODE IN THE LICENSING BY THE ABC.

I'LL GET INTO THAT LATER. WHOSE PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PREPARE MEALS IN ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC? THIS ZONING, COMBINED WITH THE ABC OFFICE LICENSE REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTAURANTS SERVING ALCOHOL.

THE ABC OFFICE, AND THE ORDINANCE IS VERY CLEAR ON THIS, AT LEAST 51% OF THE MONTHLY GROSS REVENUE MUST COME FROM FOOD, FOOD ITEMS AND NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. THAT IS ENFORCEABLE BY LAW, THAT IS ENFORCEABLE BY THE ABC AGENTS.

THESE BUSINESSES ARE SUBJECT TO MONTHLY AUDITS, INSPECTIONS, AND UNDERCOVER STING OPERATIONS.

ALCOHOL SALES MUST BE TRACKED FOR THOSE AUDITS.

FOOD SALES MUST BE SERVED ON ALL DAYS OF OPERATION, AND A MENU AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTATION ARE REQUIRED BY THE ABC OFFICE AS WELL.

THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S NOT A ZONING REQUIREMENT.

THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT IN OUR STAFF REPORT. IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE BY OUR OFFICE OR THE PERMIT AND INSPECTION OFFICE UNDER THE CITY PARISH, THE ABC OFFICE, BEFORE THEY ISSUE ANY PERMITS, PART OF THEIR SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS THAT'S TYPICALLY DONE AFTER THE ZONING IS IN PLACE FOR THEM TO RECEIVE A LICENSE BY THE ABC IN ORDER FOR THEM TO OPEN UP AND OPERATE AS A C-AB-1 BUSINESS.

[00:45:06]

THE ABC OFFICE HAS A PUBLIC HEARING. THEY GO OUT AND VERIFY THE 300 FOOT DISTANCE REQUIREMENT.

THIS IS IN TITLE 9, CHAPTER 18, SECTION 9.1010B OF THE CITY CODE AND ORDINANCES.

THAT 300FT REQUIREMENT IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE.

AS THE CROW FLIES. IT'S UNDER LOUISIANA LAW. IT'S A SAFE WALKING DISTANCE DOWN TO INTERSECTIONS, CROSSWALKS, ETC. SO ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT DISTANCE REQUIREMENT WILL BE ENFORCED AND VERIFIED AS PART OF THAT SEPARATE ABC LICENSING PROCESS. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR THAT. THE PUBLIC CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT SEPARATE PROCESS AS WELL.

BUT IT'S NOT A DIRECT LINE FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR HOLCOMB. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM VICE CHAIRMAN GROUT.

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE DIRECTOR. UNDER CURRENT ZONING RIGHT NOW THEY COULD THEY COULD HAVE 100% PACKAGED LIQUOR, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, A LIQUOR STORE WOULD BE GENERAL RETAIL SALES, WHICH WOULD BE ALLOWED WITHOUT CHANGING THE ZONING.

CORRECT, OKAY. IF THEY MOVE TO A C-AB-1 THAT GETS OFF THE TABLE, CORRECT? NO, IT WOULD STILL REMAIN. I WOULD STILL BE ALLOWED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. POINT OF INFORMATION, MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE AUDIENCE AT HOME.

AS THE CROW FLIES IT IS ABOUT 1500FT AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL, AND BY AND DRIVABLE OR WALKABLE ROADS, IT'S ABOUT 3,000FT. I SO MOVE.

I BELIEVE. COMMISSIONER COLEMAN HAS A MOTION.

I SO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THIS ITEM FROM COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.

THAT MOTION RECEIVES A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BATTS.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT MOTION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THAT ITEM IS APPROVED. MR. CHAIRMAN, WE CAN NOW MOVE TO ITEM 5.

[5. Case 24-26 4743, 4747, 4751, 4755 and 4759 Peerless Street and 4730 Paige Street To rezone from Single Family Residential (A2) to Two Family (A2.9) on property located on the north side of Peerless Street and south of Paige Street, east of Moon Street, on property now or formerly known as Lot 9-A, 10-A, 11-A, 12-A, 13-A and 40-A of the Fortune Addition Subdivision, Square 11. Section 96, T6S, R1E, GLD, EBRP, LA (Council District 5 - Hurst)]

ZONING CASE 24-26. CASE 24-26, 4743, 4747, 4751, 4755 AND 4759. PEERLESS STREET AND 4730 PAIGE STREET. PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PEERLESS STREET AND SOUTH OF PAIGE STREET. COUNCIL DISTRICT 5, HURST.

THE APPLICANT IS GARY HAWKINS SR. FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION IS COMPACT NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE EXISTING ZONING FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL A-2 WITH A REQUESTING ZONING OF TWO FAMILY A-2.9.

CASE 24-26. 4743, 4747, 4751, 4755 AND 4759 PEERLESS STREET AND 4730 PAIGE STREET.

EVEN THOUGH THE REQUEST IS LESS NON-CONFORMING THAN UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EXISTING ZONING AND ALIGNS WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, STAFF IS UNABLE TO CERTIFY THE ZONING CHANGE.

THE PROPERTY'S MID-BLOCK LOCATION WOULD INTRODUCE TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USES AND MAY TRANSITION THE HOUSING DENSITY OF THE SUBDIVISION.

COMMISSIONER MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 15 MINUTES. GOOD EVENING SIR.

HEY, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS GARY HAWKINS SR.

I GREW UP IN THE AREA, ZION CITY UP UNTIL MY COLLEGE YEARS.

AND I, MY FAMILY, SOME FAMILIES STILL LIVE THERE.

I GO BACK AND MY HEART HURTS TO SEE THE BLIGHT PROPERTY, THE EMPTY LOTS HOMES THAT SHOULD BE TORN DOWN.

AND SO GOD HAS BLESSED ME IN A WAY THAT I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND, AND BEAUTIFY MY COMMUNITY.

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS TO DO WITH THE ECONOMY IS IT'S DIFFICULT TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY WITH THE ECONOMY IN THAT LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE MARKET RATE THAT THEY ALLOW YOU TO BUILD.

SO IT'S, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY.

AND SO MY DESIRE IS TO BUILD A TWO FAMILY HOME WHERE NOT ONLY I GIVE BACK, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MY OWN FAMILY.

[00:50:01]

I WANT TO BEAUTIFY ZION CITY IN EVERY WHICH WAY POSSIBLE MAKE IT TO BE WHAT I'VE ALWAYS DESIRED TO BE.

I SAID, WHATEVER EVER CAN GET OUT AND COME BACK.

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING. THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.

THEY'RE HOMELESS AND THE HOMES ARE IN AND A REALLY BAD SHAPE.

AND SO MY DESIRE IS TO GO IN AND BEAUTIFY THE PROPERTY.

BY DOING SO, I REQUEST THAT YOU GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REZONE FROM A SINGLE FAMILY TO A TWO FAMILY RESIDENCE.

I'LL WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKER CARDS THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM.

THE FIRST IS FOR BILL SCOTT. IS MR. SCOTT HERE? IF NOT, OUR NEXT CARD IS FOR. I'M SORRY HE DID NOT WISH TO SPEAK, AND I DON'T THINK THE OTHER TWO DO EITHER.

MADDIE ADAMS AND FOR ANGELIA LEVELS. AND COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN HURST IS HERE AND THIS IS ALSO IN HIS DISTRICT.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A FEW WORDS, COUNCILMAN HURST? I GOT A LOT OF WORDS.

LET ME TELL Y'ALL, WHEN I LEFT SOUTHERN, I GOT HIRED BY AT&T IN THE COLLEGE HIGH PROGRAM, AND I MOVED TO SANDY SPRINGS, GEORGIA, WHICH IS WHAT SAINT GEORGE'S MODELED AFTER.

AND SO I GOT TO SEE IT FROM ITS INCEPTION. AND I KEPT SAYING, MAN, I NEED TO FIND A GOOD CHURCH HOME.

IT'S LIKE Y'ALL CALLING BATON ROUGE. JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE COULD I GO? WHERE COULD I GO? WHERE COULD I GO? AND I ENDED UP AT VOICES OF FAITH, WHICH UNDER, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP IN ATLANTA.

LEFT ATLANTA, I HADN'T TALKED TO HIM FOR A WHILE.

AND OVER THE LAST YEAR I REKINDLED WITH, WITH PASTOR HAWKINS AND, AND JUST TALKED ABOUT HOW HE BLESSED MY LIFE.

BUT THE POINT OF ME GOING THERE IS HE WAS TAKING THE ATLANTA MARKET BY STORM, THROUGH THE CHURCH, THROUGH BUILDING SCHOOLS AND SHOPPING CENTERS AND INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITIES AND TAKING DILAPIDATED AREAS AND RESTORING THEM.

AND SO WHAT HE'S DONE IN THE ATLANTA MARKET AND SUBURBS IS WHAT HE'S TRYING TO BRING BACK TO WHERE HE GOT HIS ROOTS TO ALLOW HIM TO GO CHANGE THE WORLD. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, KNOWING THE TYPE OF PERSON HE IS, THE INTEGRITY THAT HE BRINGS TO WHATEVER PROJECT HE'S A PART OF, I AM WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN SUPPORT. NORMALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO RHINOS, I CRITICIZE THEM.

THEY CAN TALK ALL DAY LONG, BUT I'VE I'VE SHUT DOWN SO MANY BUSINESSES FOR THEM THAT BECAUSE RYAN WILL TELL YOU I PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.

AND NORMALLY WITH MULTIFAMILY, I ALWAYS ASK, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MANAGE IT? WHAT IF THE TENANTS ARE NOT GOOD? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MANAGE THOSE? THIS IS ONE PERSON I DON'T HAVE TO QUESTION.

AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M NOT ONLY HEARING THE SUPPORT FOR HIM, BUT I'M HERE IN SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I DID REACH OUT TO THEM AS WELL.

AND THE FOLKS THAT I SPOKE WITH, I ALWAYS CHECKED THEY WERE FORCED.

I ASK THAT YOU BE BE IN SUPPORT OF IT AS WELL.

THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COMMISSION MEMBERS, AT THIS TIME, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND BEFORE I INVITE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I WANT TO JUST THANK MR. HAWKINS FOR THE WORK THAT HE'S PUT IN. HE WAS, YOU MAY RECALL THAT HE WAS HERE.

WAS IT LAST MONTH? RYAN FOR A SIMILAR APPLICATION IN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND SO JUST HAVING SOMEONE THAT, THAT, THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR THE REVITALIZATION THE WORK THAT IT TAKES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ENDEAVORS SUCH AS THAT AND GOES ABOUT IT THE RIGHT WAY, WORKS WITH THE RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WORKS WITH THE RESPECTIVE STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER TO GET THESE THINGS OFF THE GROUND.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS AND WE'LL SHOW THAT SUPPORT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, BUT I'D LIKE TO INVITE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION.

VICE CHAIRMAN GROUT. I WANT TO ADD TO THAT I'VE DONE SOME WORK IN, IN DESIGN WORK IN NORTH BATON ROUGE FOR SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PARTICULARLY IN SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING. I KNOW WHAT THE NEED IS.

TYPICALLY I WOULD NOT BE IN SUPPORT OF, OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS MID BLOCK HAVING BEEN THERE, I CAN'T ENDORSE THIS ENOUGH. I THINK IT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

IT IS THE AREA IS BLIGHTED. IT'S GOT, IT'S GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND THOSE PROBLEMS ARE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THEMSELVES.

THEY NEED PEOPLE PUTTING, PUTTING SOME TIME EFFORT AND INVESTMENT INTO IT.

SO I THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. AND SO I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH MY FRIEND ROSSI.

I AM IN WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT WHEN THIS COMES UP FOR A VOTE.

COMMISSIONER MAXEY. MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM COMMISSIONER MAXEY TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.

THAT MOTION RECEIVES A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER ADDISON.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THAT ITEM IS APPROVED. AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 6.

[6. Case 25-26 228 West Chimes Street To rezone from Heavy Commercial (C2) to Commercial Alcoholic Beverage (bar and lounge) (C-AB-2) on property located on the north side of West Chimes Street, west of Highland Road, on property now or formerly known as a portion of Lot 6 of the Campanile View Subdivision, Square 1. Section 54, T7S, R1W, GLD, EBRP, LA (Council District 10 - Coleman)]

[00:55:04]

CASE 25-26. CASE 25-26.

228 WEST CHIMES STREET. PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST CHIMES STREET, WEST OF HIGHLAND ROAD.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN. THE APPLICANT IS BRITTNI JARREAU.

FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION IS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.

THE EXISTING ZONING IS HEAVY COMMERCIAL C-2 WITH A REQUESTED ZONING OF COMMERCIAL ALCOHOL BEVERAGE BAR LOUNGE C-AB-2.

CASE 25-26. 228 WEST CHIMES STREET. STAFF CERTIFIES THAT THE PROPOSED REQUEST MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR A CHANGE OF ZONING, BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING USES CONFORMING TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIREMENTS.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION OFFICE HAS RECEIVED TWO MESSAGES IN OPPOSITION TO THIS REQUEST.

THANK YOU, AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 15 MINUTES. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

COUNCIL. MY NAME IS QUINN DOUGLAS. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.

I EMAILED A COPY OF THIS TO YOU GUYS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN PULL IT UP NOW OR NOT, BUT.

AND YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD ON TO THAT.

CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE LOTUS AND WE ARE A COMMUNITY CAFE LOUNGE BY LSU THAT IS REALLY A SPACE FOR CREATIVES, RIGHT? SO IF YOU DO ART, MUSIC, POETRY WE'RE HERE FOR THAT TYPE OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND WE'RE RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE, THE MUSIC BUILDING FROM LSU.

WE'RE REQUESTING THE REZONING TO BE ABLE TO SELL ALCOHOL.

AS MANY OF THE OTHER BARS AND LOUNGES ON THE STREET DO.

SO WE ARE JUST TRYING TO BE IN THE SAME VEIN AS THE OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS ON CHIMES STREET.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS OWNERS. WE ARE AWARE THAT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT FOR THE AREA. AND BEFORE WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS THERE, THERE WERE A LOT OF EMPTY, VACANT BUILDINGS ON CHIMES STREET, WHICH IS VERY SURPRISING TO ME.

BUT THAT WAS THE CASE. AND THERE WAS A VAGRANT PROBLEM, A TRASH PROBLEM.

AND I'M ACTUALLY VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TO CHIMES STREET INSTITUTED A TRASH CLEANUP CREW.

WE'VE ADDED LIGHTING, SECURITY AND STARTED TO BRING BACK SOME LIFE TO THE THAT SIDE OF THE STREET, BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

BUT BETWEEN YOU HAVE CHIMES, ON HIGHLAND AND CHIMES YOU GOT MURPHYS ON THIS END AND THEN VACANT BUSINESSES IN BETWEEN.

FOR THE MOST PART, BESIDES INSOMNIA. WE'RE RIGHT IN BETWEEN INSOMNIA AND MURPHY.

AND I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING FOR.

THEY HANG OUT. THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. WE'RE GIVING THEM A PLACE TO DO THAT AND BE SAFE WHILE THEY DO IT.

SO WE JUST THINK THAT ALONG WITH THE FOOD THAT WE OFFER, BEING ABLE TO OFFER A DAIQUIRI SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE CHIMES ON THIS END AND YOU GOT MURPHY'S BAR ON THAT END. AND YOU KNOW, COLLEGE KIDS, THEY LIKE TO, THEY LIKE TO HOP FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

AND I THINK IT'S A MORE ATTRACTIVE AREA THAN, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES THAT THEY GO PARTY BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO CAMPUS.

SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE THAT PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S MORE THAN JUST A CLUB OR A BAR, BUT A COMMUNITY HUB FOR CREATORS, FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH MUSIC, POETRY, AND ART. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKER CARDS THAT ARE IN OPPOSITION. FIRST IS FOR HANNAH UNDAIA.

URDEA. SORRY ABOUT THAT. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES.

GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[01:00:01]

MY NAME IS HANNAH URDEA. I HAVE A DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MUSIC FROM LSU.

I HAVE LIVED AT 244 WEST CHIMES STREET FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS.

SINCE JULY 2016. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS NO MUSIC OR POETRY OR ART GOING ON AT THE LOTUS. NONE OF THAT. IT'S VERY LOUD MUSIC ALREADY.

WE ALSO HAVE ALREADY MURPHY'S, WHICH HAS BEEN TAKING AWAY HOURS OF SLEEP.

IT'S EXTREMELY LOUD MUSIC UNTIL 2, 3, 4 A.M..

AT 5 A.M. THERE'S THE RATTLING OF THE TRASH CAN ON THE CONCRETE.

IT SHAKES THE BUILDING CONTINUOUSLY. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN SIT ON THE COUCH BECAUSE OF THE NOISE.

I'M LOCATED RIGHT BETWEEN THE LOTUS AND MURPHY'S.

IT'S A CACOPHONY OF NOISE, ADDING TO THAT, THERE'S THE NOISE OF DRUNK PEOPLE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS AT 3 A.M., 4 A.M. EVEN. EVEN IF THE BAR CLOSES, THEY ARE STILL OUT THERE IN THE STREET, DRUNK SCREAMING.

POLICE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY NOT HELPFUL ON MANY INSTANCES, THEY DON'T EVEN SHOW UP.

CLIENTS OF THE OF THE BAR BLOCKED THE DRIVEWAY.

POLICE DOESN'T HELP. THERE'S TRASH. THERE'S VOMIT.

THERE'S PEEING. THERE'S TRESPASSING FROM THE CLIENTS OF THE ALREADY EXISTING MURPHYS.

AND THE UNIVERSITY IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE RECEIVED A MESSAGE IN OPPOSITION OF THIS REZONING FROM A DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF THE LSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

I URGE YOU TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.

THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS REZONING.

WITH THIS NEW BAR AND DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

THERE'S ALSO THE SMELL OF WEED. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO OUT IN MY PARKING LOT AND SMELL WEED SO STRONG THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO PASS OUT. ON GAME DAYS PEOPLE COME WITH THEIR KIDS.

SHOULD THOSE KIDS HAVE TO SMELL WEED? SEE VOMIT.

STEP THROUGH TRASH. SEE DRUNK PEOPLE. YOU HAVE ABOUT 20S, MAN.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDENTS ARE SCARED TO GO TO PRACTICE AT SCHOOL LATE AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE WITH THE DRUNK PEOPLE OVER THERE.

THIS REZONING DOES NOT HELP THE STREET GET BETTER.

QUITE THE CONTRARY, IT MAKES IT WORSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT CARD IS FOR JAN ANDERSON.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS JAN ANDERSON. I OWN WITH MY HUSBAND 236 WEST CHIMES.

240 WEST CHINES AND 244. ALL THESE BUILDINGS ARE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO LOTUS.

TO THE LOTUS WHO'S TRYING TO GET THE BAR. OUR BUILDINGS ARE MULTIFAMILY HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THE 1930S.

WE HAVE 12 UNITS WITH OVER 16 KIDS. WE SERVICE LSU STUDENTS, LSU STAFF AND FACULTY, YOU KNOW, IN OUR UNITS. SO OUR TENANTS WE ARE IN STRONG OPPOSITION OF THE LOTUS BECOMING A BAR.

WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE NOISE PROBLEMS ALREADY. OUR STUDENTS, OUR BEDROOM WINDOWS, MULTIPLE BEDROOM WINDOWS ARE FIVE FEET FROM THE LOTUS PROPERTY RIGHT NEXT DOOR, FIVE FEET MULTIPLE WINDOWS.

THEY HOUSE OUTDOOR LIVE LOUD MUSIC, LIVE DJ'S IN THEIR BACK PARKING LOT.

THEY PUT UP TABLES. THEY PUT UP CHAIRS. AND SOME OF THEIR EVENTS DON'T EVEN START TILL 11 AT NIGHT.

DURING THE WEEK. ON THE WEEKENDS WE HAVE STUDENTS MESSAGING US.

WE HOURS SAYING THE POLICE AREN'T COMING. WE'VE CALLED THE POLICE.

OCCASIONALLY THEY COME, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY CANNOT EVEN FALL ASLEEP.

THEY'RE TRYING, YOU KNOW, THEY TRY TO PUT EARPLUGS IN, WHICH IS NOT SAFE.

THEY'RE ALREADY REPEATEDLY HAVING THESE LATE NIGHT MUSIC ORDINANCES.

AND AS YOU KNOW, NOISE ORDINANCES ARE A HARDSHIP FOR NEIGHBORS TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH.

SO A MULTIFAMILY, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING LIVE PARTIES, LOUD MUSIC WITH DJ'S SETTING UP TILL

[01:05:08]

FOUR IN THE MORNING. MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. WE'VE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO THEM AS NEIGHBORS.

THEY HAVE NOT BEEN NICE. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOMMODATING.

THEY SAID, WELL, WE WANT TO BE WE WANT TO HAVE PARTIES AND MUSIC AND YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULDN'T BE HOUSING NEXT DOOR.

WE'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE BUILDING'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE 1930S.

SO JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN APPROVE IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD.

IT SHOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR WHAT HAS BEEN THERE AND WHAT IS THERE.

AND AGAIN, WE SERVICE LSU STUDENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO STUDY, WHO ARE TRYING TO SLEEP AND WHO LIVE ACROSS FROM THERE.

PLEASE DENY THE REQUEST. ALLOWING A BAR WITH LIVE MUSIC THAT IS ALREADY A PROBLEM CAUSING EXCESSIVE NOISE.

THIS IS NOT. LOTUS IS NOT TRYING TO BE A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD POETRY BAR.

THEY HAVE ALREADY HAVE A PATTERN OF EXCESSIVE, DISRESPECTFUL, LOUD BEHAVIOR DURING THE WEEK, ON THE WEEKENDS TILL 4 IN THE MORNING. THAT PICTURE IS NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING ALREADY.

SO PLEASE DENY THE REQUEST. THANK YOU, MA'AM.

YOUR TIME IS UP. IT'S OUR. OH, I DIDN'T GET A WARNING.

I'LL GIVE YOU 15 SECONDS TO WRAP. I WOULD HAVE TALKED SUPER-FAST.

OKAY. YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, IT'S ALREADY HAS ALLOWED EVENTS, EXCESSIVE NOISE.

PLEASE SURPRISE ME AND ACTUALLY DENY YOUR REQUEST, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD.

AND IT IS NOT A GOOD FIT. NEXT TO THREE MULTIFAMILY STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF WHO ARE TRYING TO LIVE, SLEEP AND WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MY MINUTES.

YES, MA'AM. THE NEXT CARD IS FOR BRIAN ANDERSON.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BRIAN ANDERSON. THAT'S MY WIFE. SO I'LL GO PAST WHAT SHE'S ALREADY SPOKE ABOUT.

SOME REAL QUICK HISTORY ON THE STREET. IT WAS THE FIRST PRIVATELY DEVELOPED STREET AFTER LSU DECIDED TO MOVE TO THE CAMPUS.

THE BUILDINGS THAT MY WIFE SPOKE OF, THE THREE BUILDINGS AT 236, 240, 244 ARE AS OLD, IF NOT OLDER THAN MANY OF THE BUILDINGS ON LSU'S CAMPUS.

SHE DIDN'T SPEAK ABOUT IT, BUT WE ALSO, WITH OTHER PARTNERS, OWN ANOTHER BUILDING DOWN THE STREET AT 136 WEST CHIMES THAT IS ALSO A 1930S BUILDING.

MY BACKGROUND IS ARCHITECTURE, I LOVE ARCHITECTURE.

I WENT UP THERE LOOKING TO BUY A CONDO FOR MY FAMILY BECAUSE I GRADUATED FROM LSU IN ARCHITECTURE, SOMEHOW GOT BAMBOOZLED INTO BUYING FOUR BUILDINGS.

IF YOU COUNT THE 136 WITH THE 236, WE HAVE OVER 23 STUDENTS.

WE CALL THEM KIDS. THEY'RE YOUNG ADULTS. THERE'S A WEIRD, INCONVENIENT TRUTH WE DON'T TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS THAT THE 80% OF THE KIDS ON THAT CAMPUS ARE UNDER 21, YET ALL OF THESE BARS WANT TO BE RIGHT NEXT DOOR, AND THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THEY DON'T SERVE TO THEM UNDER 21, BUT DOESN'T QUITE MAKE SENSE.

WHICH MEANS EITHER THEY'RE A SELLING TO UNDERAGE CHILDREN, B BRINGING PEOPLE THAT DON'T BELONG ON THE CAMPUS ONTO THE CAMPUS, OR C DOING SOMETHING ELSE. GOING BACK TO THE CAMPUS WHEN THAT STREET WAS DEVELOPED, IT WAS A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTIAL ALONG WITH SUPPORTING BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORTED IT. THERE WAS A BOOKSTORE, THERE WAS AN ICE CREAM SHOP.

YOU GO BACK TO THE 30S AND 40S. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.

THERE ARE TWO OTHER RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS. I WOULD SAY ARGUABLY, THERE'S OVER 30 SOMETHING CHILDREN THAT LIVE ON THAT STREET.

IN THE 30S 40S THE ZONING HAD IT SPECIFICALLY SET UP BOOKSTORES, ICE CREAM SHOPS.

WE ACTUALLY HAD A DINER IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF OUR BUILDING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

WHEN WE PURCHASED IT, WE TURNED IT BACK INTO 100% RESIDENTIAL.

IT WAS NOT BARS. IN THE 60S, IT WAS CONVERTED OVER TO BARS.

THERE WERE MULTIPLE BARS THAT RAN THROUGH THE 60S, THE 70S.

I'VE BEEN ON THAT STREET FOR MANY YEARS. I DO A LOT OF THE WORK MYSELF.

MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT BIG DEVELOPERS. PEOPLE WILL COME DOWN THE STREET AND THEY'LL TELL ME STORIES ABOUT, OH, I USED TO SHOP HERE. I USED TO DO THIS WHEN THE BARS CAME IN THE 60S AND 70S, THE STREETS STARTED TO DECLINE.

BY THE TIME I GOT THERE TEN YEARS AGO, THERE WERE VAGRANTS WE SPOKE OF, THERE WAS CRIME.

THERE WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT IN THE 90S WHO DIED AT ONE OF THE BARS IN THAT AREA FOR DRINKING UNDERAGE.

THE STREET HAD A PATTERN OF DECLINE THE 60S, THE 70S, THE 80S.

PEOPLE TALKED NOSTALGICALLY. IT WAS TRASH WHEN I WAS THERE IN THE 90S, WE DID NOT GO ON THAT SIDE OF CAMPUS BECAUSE IT WAS ALL BARS AND GHETTOS.

WE WENT IN THERE TEN YEARS AGO, SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THESE PROPERTIES TO BRING THEM BACK.

WE NOW HAVE COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO SPEND A GOOD BIT OF MONEY TO LIVE THERE.

THE PARENTS FROM OUT OF STATE LOVE THEM BEING THERE.

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESIDENTIAL. YOU HAVE ABOUT 20S, SIR.

SOMEONE IN ZONING MADE THE DECISION MANY YEARS AGO TO CONVERT A LOT OF THOSE BARS ONCE THEY CLOSE DOWN BACK TO OTHER USES THAT WERE CONDUCIVE TO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT REALLY IS. NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE ARE NOW TRYING TO PUT IN BARS.

BARS DON'T COME BACK FOR COMMUNITIES. THEY DON'T HELP COMMUNITIES. BARS ONLY SERVE THE PEOPLE. THE OWNER OF THEIR PROPERTY IS NOT EVEN HERE BECAUSE HE LIVES OUT OF THE COUNTRY,

[01:10:02]

AND HE JUST COLLECTS A RENT CHECK EVERY MONTH.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE CHILDREN THAT LIVE ON THE STREET. IT NEEDS TO BE TREATED MORE AS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

SORRY, YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT CARD IS FOR TY HINGLE THAT SAYS, IF NEEDED.

YOU WISH TO SPEAK, SIR. I AM. Y'ALL WILL FIND THE IRONY IN THIS.

I'M TY HINGLE, I OWN MURPHY'S, AND I HAVE TRIED TO BUY THREE OF THE VACANT BUILDINGS ON THE STREET TO CONVERT THEM INTO BARS SO I.

IF I CAN BUY THEM AT A REASONABLE PRICE, I WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU ASKING YOU TO CONVERT THIS.

I'M NOT OPPOSED TO OTHER BARS BEING ON THE STREET.

IN FACT, I THINK IT HELPS MY BUSINESS. WHAT I'M OPPOSED TO IS THE WRONG TYPE OF BUSINESS.

SO I'M REALLY MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE END GAME HERE.

AND WHAT THE OPPOSITION HAS SPOKEN TO AND ABOUT IS VERY TRUE.

THESE PARTIES ARE ADVERTISED TO START AT 11 P.M.

AND GO TILL 4 A.M.. IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO, YOU WILL SEE THERE'S ALREADY ALCOHOL THERE.

THAT IN THEIR INSTAGRAM INSIDE OF THEIR BUILDINGS ALREADY ALCOHOL WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE.

THE REASON I'M HERE IS TO SHED LIGHT ON THE FACT THAT THE AREA HAS CHANGED.

I AM PROUD THAT MURPHY'S IS POINTED TO NOW AS A BAR THAT'S DOING THINGS RIGHT.

WE WORK WITH THE ABC. WE WORK WITH THE LSU POLICE.

WE WORK WITH THE BATON ROUGE POLICE. WE WORK WITH THE COUNCIL. WE WORK WITH THE STATE POLICE TO TRAIN OUR GUYS TO DO THINGS BETTER.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS IS BECAUSE OF LOTUS AND THE WAY THAT THE BUSINESS IS BEING OPERATED.

MY FEMALE STAFF FEARS TO GO TO THEIR CAR AT NIGHT.

MY MALE STAFF WILL NOT PARK DOWN THERE ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR CARS GETTING BROKEN INTO.

THERE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET CONSTANT TWERKING AGAINST MY STAFF'S VEHICLES.

THERE IS OUTDOOR PARTIES. MY MANAGER HAS SENT ME VIDEOS AT 3 IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY'RE DONE CLEANING UP OF LOUD MUSIC.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M OLD AND I AM TIRED OF HEADACHES AND I WANT LESS HEADACHES IN MY LIFE.

AND SINCE LOTUS HAS STARTED THEIR. I HAVE GOTTEN LEGAL THREATS.

I HAVE GOTTEN ABC CALLED ON THE AREA. I HAVE GOTTEN.

POLICE CALLED ON THE AREA. AND THEY ASSOCIATE THAT WITH MURPHY'S BEING AROUND THAT LIKE RIGHT NEXT TO IT.

BUT IN FACT, IT'S NOT US AT ALL. IN FACT, OUR SOUND SYSTEM OUTSIDE AT MIDNIGHT IS DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY SHUT TO 50% OF THE VOLUME AT 2:00, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. AND SO THE COMPLAINTS FROM 2:00 TO 4 A.M.

HAPPEN TO BE HE POINTED AT ME. BUT IT'S IN FACT THE BUSINESS DOWN THE STREET, SO I DON'T CARE IF YOU REZONE THE BUILDING.

IN FACT, I'M FOR REZONING THE BUILDING BECAUSE I WILL BE ASKING YOU LATER ON TO REZONE OTHER BUILDINGS IF I CAN BUY THEM.

WHAT I'M OPPOSED TO IS THE END GAME AND THE RESULT OF THE BUSINESS THAT'S RUN THERE NOW. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL SPEAKER CARD FOR ADDILYN ANDERSON, BUT THEY INDICATED THEY DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK.

AND I THINK THEY'VE CHANGED THEIR MIND. SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME TO THE PODIUM.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES. HI, I'M ADELINE ANDERSON.

I'M IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT LSU, AND I'M HONESTLY JUST SCARED FOR WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I'M GOING TO LIVE NEXT DOOR THIS YEAR, AND I SPEND HOURS OF STUDYING, AND I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW HAVE COMPLAINTS.

AND I WE HAVE ONE WE KEEP FOR OURSELVES THAT I LIKE WOULD LIVE IN WHILE I STUDY FOR FINALS.

AND I'VE BEEN SCARED TO WALK BACK TO MY DORM BECAUSE OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE ARE GETTING CATCALLED OR JUST HOLLERING AT PEOPLE.

AND THAT'S ALL I JUST HAVE TO SAY. IT'S SCARY FOR WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO TO THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE THE APPLICANT BACK FOR A FIVE MINUTE REBUTTAL.

HELLO. HI. GOOD EVENING. I'M BRITTNI JARREAU.

I'M THE OWNER OF THE LOTUS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS RAISED BY NEARBY RESIDENTS REGARDING NOISE.

WE APPRECIATE THOSE CONCERNS AND ARE COMMITTED TO BEING RESPECTFUL NEIGHBORS.

WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING TO MONITOR NOISE, ENCOURAGE RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR FROM OUR GUESTS, AND OPERATE IN A WAY THAT SUPPORTS BOTH OUR BUSINESS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY BEYOND BUSINESS BY HOSTING EVENTS THAT SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS LSU ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE CHESS CLUB AND THE LSU COLLEGIATE RECOVERY PROGRAM.

WE ALSO PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH AND SAFETY RESOURCES SUCH AS NARCAN, EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AND PREGNANCY TESTS FOR ANYONE WHO MAY NEED THEM.

OPENING THE LOTUS HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE. WE'VE INVESTED OUR TIME, ENERGY AND RESOURCES INTO CREATING A BUSINESS THAT REFLECTS OUR VALUES OF COMMUNITY, CREATIVITY, INCLUSION, AND RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP.

WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND APPROVAL OF OUR APPLICATION.

AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH FRIENDS WITH SOME OF THE OWNERS AND WORKERS AT MURPHY'S.

[01:15:06]

THE REASON THAT WE STAYED OPEN TILL 4 A.M. IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.

WHEN THEY CLOSED AT TWO THEY WANT TO COME AND HANG OUT AND DO HOOKAH, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.

AND YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSION MEMBERS, AT THIS TIME, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BEFORE INVITING QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE FULL COMMISSION THIS APPLICATION IS LOCATED IN COUNCIL MEMBER SLASH COMMISSIONER COLEMAN'S DISTRICT. SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR HER THOUGHTS ON THE CONCERNS RAISED AND ON THE APPLICATION AS A WHOLE.

THANK YOU, SIR. COMMISSIONER. AND SO I GUESS MY CONCERN AND QUESTION IS, DID YOU REACH OUT TO THE CONSTITUENTS? DID YOU REACH OUT TO THE BUSINESSES? DID YOU REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND COME AND SEE ME? COME TO HERE AND TELL ME IF YOU CAN WHO YOU TALKED TO IN MY OFFICE. COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? THANK YOU. HELLO AGAIN.

YES WE DID REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO YOUR OFFICE.

SPECIFICALLY TO, YOU KNOW, REQUEST THAT WE GET THE REZONING.

WE SPOKE TO NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

I MEAN, TRYING TO PAINT THE STREET AS A NEIGHBORHOOD IS A STRETCH, NUMBER ONE.

BUT WE'VE SPOKEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO DO LIVE ON THE STREET, AND MOST OF THEM ACTUALLY ARE PATRONS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT.

ALSO, I MEAN, THE REASON THAT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LSU RECOVERY PROGRAM IS BECAUSE A PERSON THAT LIVES ON THE STREET AND WORKS WITH THEM CAME TO US AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND SAID, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE AREA MAY NEED.

RIGHT. SO WE OPEN UP OUR DOORS TO THAT. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WITH THE FIRST.

ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. OH. RIGHT HERE. ALL RIGHT, SO TELL ME THIS.

YOU SAID YOU REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE. WHO DID YOU TALK WITH? I SPOKE WITH I SPOKE WITH YOU THROUGH EMAIL. SOMEBODY SENT ME SOME A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR OFFICE. HIS NAME IS SLIPPING MY MIND SENT ME SEND US AN EMAIL AND WE SENT BASICALLY WHAT I JUST HANDED OUT TO YOU. OKAY. SO LET'S, YEAH, LET'S MOVE ON. AND SO.

I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY AND THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE AND THE ME, WE'VE NOT HAD NO CONVERSATION. AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HOUSING AROUND LSU RIGHT NOW ALREADY FOR THE STUDENTS. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN OF MINE.

AND THEN THE SAFETY OF IT. AND THEN THE SEE THE LOUD, THE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE IN THE MORNING, ALL THE WAY OUT OF ORDER. AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CALLS MADE TO ME REGARDING THAT SAYING THAT ALCOHOL IS BEING SERVED AND SOLD AND HERE IT IS, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.

WE'RE. I'M TALKING. THEN THEY TALKED ABOUT THE NOISE ELEMENT THAT THAT'S OUT THERE. AND SO I MEAN, ALL OF THIS AND THEN I'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL EMAILS AGAINST THIS.

AND SO I ALWAYS ASK, HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PEOPLE? HAVE YOU WHAT'S THEIR FEEDBACK? YOU KNOW, DON'T MIND ME, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE.

HAVE YOU HAD THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM? AND SO I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED AGAINST IT.

CAN I ADDRESS THAT, PLEASE? OKAY. FIRST, FIRST OF ALL, WE DO NOT SELL ALCOHOL.

WE DO NOT SERVE ALCOHOL. RIGHT. WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT UNDER THE C-2 ZONING WE COULD HAVE BYOB, LIKE ALLOW THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DRINKING COMING FROM MURPHY'S, COMING FROM CHIMES,

[01:20:04]

WALKING BACK AND FORTH IN BETWEEN AND WANTING TO COME INTO OUR ESTABLISHMENT.

WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE COULD ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT WITH THEIR ALCOHOL.

WE DON'T SERVE ALCOHOL. NEVER HAVE. WE DON'T SELL ALCOHOL.

WE WON'T TAKE THEIR ALCOHOL AND THEN SERVE IT TO THEM.

ANY OF THAT IF THEY HAVE ALCOHOL IN THEIR HAND ALREADY, WE WERE ALLOWING THEM TO COME IN.

UP UNTIL RECENTLY WE MADE, LIKE HE SAID, CHECK OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POST OUT.

WE MADE A SOCIAL MEDIA POST BECAUSE WE GOT A VISIT FROM THE ATC.

AND THEY SAID, WELL, I SAID THE SAME THING TO THEM AS I JUST SAID TO Y'ALL.

AND THEY SAID, NO, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. YOU CAN'T DO BYOB.

AND I SAID, OH, ALL RIGHT, WE WILL MAKE A SOCIAL MEDIA POST ABOUT IT.

AND IT HAS LIKE 4,000 VIEWS. LIKE WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE TRYING TO ACTUALLY REVITALIZE THE AREA BEFORE WE WERE THERE IN THAT SAME SPACE WE WERE AT, IT WAS VAGRANTS LIVING THERE BEHIND THERE, RIGHT NEXT TO NEXT TO THE PROPERTY THAT YOU GUYS OWN. COME ON, YOU TALK TO US. YOU THERE'S. IT'S I'M VERY EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT BECAUSE ALL OF THIS EXCEPT FOR THE LOUD MUSIC IS MADE UP, SO IT'S MADE UP.

LOUD MUSIC IS REAL. LOUD MUSIC WAS AN ISSUE. THIS LADY SAID SHE HAD NO CONTACT WITH US.

I TALKED TO HER HUSBAND MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAVE LOTS OF TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN ME AND HIM WITH ME EXPLAINING WHAT WE PLAN TO DO AND HIM BASICALLY DICTATING TO ME WHAT I NEED TO DO. I DIDN'T RESPOND BACK IN KIND FOR THEM TO SAY WE WERE RUDE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WE'RE VERY APPROACHABLE PEOPLE LIKE. OKAY. WE ARE NOT OPERATING IN A BAD MANNER.

AS FAR AS A BUSINESS. I THINK FOR PEOPLE TO BE SCARED, THERE'S NO CATCALLING GOING ON.

WE'RE A SAFE SPACE FOR WOMEN, PERIOD. NUMBER ONE, THAT'S LIKE OUR NUMBER ONE THING, SAFE SPACE FOR WOMEN.

AND FOR HIM TO SAY THAT THAT DOES MURPHY'S PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO WALK TO THEIR CAR, BUT THEN THEY'RE NOT SCARED TO COME IN AND SMOKE HOOKAH.

THEY'RE NOT SCARED TO COME IN HERE AND LISTEN TO MUSIC.

CAN I ASK A QUESTION? I MIGHT BE AGING MYSELF HERE, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HOOKAH IS TO ME, PLEASE? HOOKAH IS? IT'S JUST NATURALLY GROWN TOBACCO MIXED IN LIKE A FLAVORED MOLASSES AND THEN SMOKED IN A TRADITIONAL DEVICE, WHICH IS CALLED THE HOOKAH.

IT'S MULTIPLE, THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD TRADITION THAT HAS BECOME POPULAR NOW RE-POPULARIZED NOW.

IT'S NOTHING ILLICIT. NO, THERE'S NOTHING ILLICIT.

IT'S AS IT'S ACTUALLY CLEANER THAN SMOKING A CIGARETTE.

IT'S JUST TOBACCO. OKAY. I HAVE A QUESTION. SURE.

DO YOU CHARGE A COVER? SOMETIMES WE WILL CHARGE A COVER.

SO I JUST LOOKED AT YOUR INSTAGRAM. RED LIGHT NIGHTS ON WEDNESDAY LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL.

IF I WAS A NEIGHBOR OF THIS BAR AND THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, I WOULD NOT BE A HAPPY PERSON.

LIKE. I MEAN I UNDERSTAND. IT SEEMS LIKE A LATE NIGHT CLUB AND YOU'RE GETTING UNDERNEATH THE RULES BY NOT SERVING ALCOHOL, CHARGING A COVER, LETTING PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

AND IN REALITY, YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING AFTER 2:00.

NO, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT'S ACCURATE. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT SOMETIMES WE CHARGE A COVER.

RED LIGHT WEDNESDAYS IS A IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT SAYS GAMES.

IT SAYS HOOKAH. I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU.

ONE THING BLACK PEOPLE LIKE TO DANCE LIKE THEY LIKE TO DANCE.

I LIKE TO DANCE. IT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DANCING ISN'T, YOU KNOW, OUT OF CONTROL IS ALL I'M SAYING.

I THINK THE PERSON THAT YOU LIKE WEDNESDAY IS NOT TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT RED LIGHT WEDNESDAY IS BASED ON A FRAT.

WELL, WHAT YOU MADE IT LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST GOT HERE WAS LIKE A MEETING PLACE FOR STUDENTS.

AND RED LIGHT WEDNESDAY DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MEETING PLACE.

LIKE. WELL, I MEAN, THOSE ARE STUDENTS. THEY'RE IN A PARTICULAR FRAT AND THEY'RE CELEBRATING THEMSELVES.

THEY'RE STUDENTS. OKAY. SO WE ARE ALL ENCOMPASSING AS A COMMUNITY SPACE.

LIKE SHE TRIED TO SAY, WE DON'T DO OPEN MIC, WE DON'T DO POETRY.

BUT THURSDAYS YOU'RE ON OUR PAGE. YOU SAY YOU SAW WEDNESDAYS.

[01:25:01]

THURSDAYS IS OUR OPEN MIC NIGHT FOR POETRY, FOR MUSIC, FOR ART.

IF YOU'VE BEEN ON OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE, YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

YOU SEE THE ART ROOM AND YOU SEE WE HAVE VENDORS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE MUSICIANS FROM THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE ARTISTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

LIKE THESE AREN'T PEOPLE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THESE ARE PEOPLE FROM RIGHT HERE THAT ARE LSU STUDENTS, LSU ALUMNI.

YOU KNOW, I WAS AN LSU STUDENT. THE PEOPLE THAT I EVERYBODY AROUND IS A STUDENT SO OR LIVES ON THE STREET.

SO TO SAY THAT WE DON'T ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE NOT PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS JUST NOT TRUE.

I OKAY COMMISSIONER MAXEY DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THOSE QUESTIONS, SIR.

COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, WERE YOU I THINK WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN SIDETRACKED ON YOURS.

DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? NO, SIR.

I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. JUST A MOTION NOT TO APPROVE.

OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION TO DENY THIS ITEM FROM COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.

THAT MOTION RECEIVED A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MAXEY.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, THAT ITEM IS DENIED AT THIS TIME.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 8 MCUP-1-26. MCUP-1-26

[8. CONSENT FOR APPROVAL MCUP-1-26 7740 and 9400-9500 Pettit Road (Deferred by the Planning Director from May 18) Proposed sand and gravel mining operation located on the south and west side of Pettit Road, north of Comite Drive, on property now or formerly known as the W. Y. Pettit Tract of the Eva T. Graves Land LLC and Tract 8-B-2-A of H. B. Weiland Property. Section 33, T5S, R1E, GLD, EBRP, LA (Council District 2 - Kenney)]

7740 9400-9500 PETTIT ROAD PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF PETTIT ROAD, NORTH OF COMITE DRIVE.

COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO KENNEY. THE APPLICANT IS EDWARD C BRADFORD.

THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING SAND AND GRAVEL MINING OPERATION AND A PROPOSED FUTURE POND.

FUTURE BR LAND USE IS AGRICULTURAL RURAL MCUP-126 7740 AND 9400-9500 PETTIT ROAD. STAFF CERTIFIES THE PROPOSED REQUEST MEETS THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR A MAJOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING USES AND CONFORMING TO UDC REQUIREMENTS.

AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK TO FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 15 MINUTES.

GOOD EVENING SIR. GOOD EVENING. REPRESENTING DIRT CO WHO IS THE OPERATORS OF THIS CURRENT FACILITY.

IT'S 177 ACRE SITE THAT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION OR WAS IN OPERATION STARTING IN ABOUT 2007.

IT'S A MINING DIRT ON THE CURRENT FACILITY. OUR PLAN SHOW THAT WE PROPOSE TWO NEW ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS TO MINE THIS MATERIAL. IT IS NOT A COMPLETE EVERY SINGLE DAY OPERATION.

IT IS A OPERATION THAT IS ON A NEED BY BASIS.

IT COMES IN AS PROJECTS OR ARE AWARDED TO THE DIRT CO OWNERS AND AND THEY DO PERIODICALLY WORK WHEN THE PROJECTS ARE, MOST OF THE PROJECTS ARE LOCAL PROJECTS AND WE DO, WE HAVE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS ON THE PROPOSED SITES PER THE UDC WITH THE RESIDENTIAL SETBACKS, THE BUFFERS.

ET-CETERA. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU SIR. WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER CARD THAT IS IN FAVOR AND SAYS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IF NEEDED FOR HEATH MORRIS.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS HEATH MORRIS.

I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS OF DIRT CO. WE HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS SINCE WE PURCHASED THE RIGHTS, THE DIGGING RIGHTS ON THIS PROPERTY. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT SINCE DAY ONE OF OPERATION.

WE ARE A AS NEEDED FACILITY. WE BID PROJECTS WHEN DIRT IS NEEDED.

WE GET AWARDED IT. WE DIG WE TRY TO BE VERY NEIGHBORLY TO THE COMMUNITY.

WE TRY TO AVOID WORKING ON SUNDAYS AT ALL, AT ALL COSTS.

WE ARE VERY COGNITIVE OF HOW WE DISCHARGE OUR WATER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTAIN EROSION.

MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SETTLEMENT PONDS WHERE WE PUMP INTO PONDS BEFORE IT GOES INTO A DISCHARGE CANAL.

I AM A, WE ARE AS A TEAM. WE'RE VERY, VERY COGNITIVE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

[01:30:02]

I AM A FARMER AS WELL IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

I OWN A DIRT FACILITY AS WELL IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

I FARM THAT PROPERTY THAT IS BEING DUG IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

I FARM 2600 ACRES OF SUGAR CANE AND SOYBEANS AS WELL.

SO BEING A CONSERVATIVE AND BEING A CONSERVATIONIST TO THE PROPERTY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO ME AND TO OUR OPERATION.

WE BELIEVE IN BEING VERY NEIGHBORLY TO THE COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE HAD SINCE THE FLOOD IN 2016, WE WERE REALLY A RETENTION AREA FOR THE FLOOD.

ALL THE HOUSES AROUND PETTIT ROAD DID NOT FLOOD.

NOW AS YOU GET CLOSER TO COMITE THAT ELEVATION FELL.

THOSE HOUSES FLOODED. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR HOLES THAT WE DUG SERVED AS RETENTION THAT KEPT THOSE HOUSES HIGH AND DRY DURING THE FLOOD. WE WERE THERE. I SAW PERSONALLY WHAT A FLASH FLOOD WAS TO WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SAVE EQUIPMENT AND MOVE EQUIPMENT TO HIGH GROUND.

WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO BE THERE.

BUT THIS IS NOT A FIVE DAY A WEEK OPERATION. THIS IS AN AS NEEDED OPERATION.

IN 2025, I THINK WE WERE OPEN A TOTAL OF MAYBE 40 DAYS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

AND THAT IS HOW WE INTEND TO PROCEED GOING FORWARD.

SO WITH THAT, IF ANY OF THE COUNCILMAN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR.

WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER CARD THAT IS IN OPPOSITION FOR ANGELA CREEL.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR THREE MINUTES, MA'AM. HI, EVERYONE.

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PIT AS ALONG COMITE DRIVE AND PETTIT ROAD THE PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE PITS IS THAT THEY WERE UNDER PERMITTED.

THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE A COMMERCIAL DIRT PIT, WHICH THEY HAVE DONE.

I'VE RESEARCHED ALL OF THE PERMITS I'VE WENT ALL THE WAY BACK.

THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A MAJOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE.

THEY APPLIED IN 2015 FOR A STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT THAT GAVE THEM THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD A SUBDIVISION GRAVE SUBDIVISION AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DIG PONDS FOR THE PROPERTY TO LEVEL IT OUT.

IT TURNED INTO THEM PUTTING A SIGN IN THE FRONT THAT SAID DIRT CO AND IT BECAME A COMMERCIAL DIRT PIT OPERATION.

THE MOMENT THEY DROVE OFF OF THAT PROPERTY AND THEY SOLD THAT DIRT, IT BECAME A COMMERCIAL DIRT PIT OPERATION THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY RIGHT.

WE HAD NO SAY IN THAT. WE WENT CONSTANTLY. WE'VE CALLED WE'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DIRT PITS IN THESE AREAS.

IT GOES NOWHERE. THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DIG THIS DIRT.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP AND I'VE WENT THROUGH GOOGLE EARTH AND I SENT IT TO OUR COUNCILMAN.

IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY DUG IN 2015, THEY HAD A ONE YEAR PERMIT TO DIG A POND FOR THEIR SUBDIVISION TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE THROUGH 25.

IT IS MASSIVE. IT IS HUGE. THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT.

WHAT I'M ASKING IS AT LEAST TO DEFER THIS SO WE CAN GET PEOPLE IN THERE TO SEE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT, BECAUSE METRO COUNCIL JUST APPROVED 166 HOME SUBDIVISION RIGHT BEHIND THIS AREA.

SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THIS LAND BEING CLEARED. YOU HAVE NEW HOMES GOING UP CONCRETE.

YOU'RE HAVING THIS WATER. WE DON'T KNOW. THEY'VE ALREADY DUG.

YOU CAN'T EVEN CALL IT A POND [INAUDIBLE] SAYS OVER FIVE ACRES, YOU CAN CALL IT A LAKE.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO MOVE INTO A SUBDIVISION AND PURCHASE A NEW HOUSE IF THEY KNEW A COMMERCIAL DIRT PIT OPERATION IS HAPPENING BEHIND THEM.

I ASKED VERY LEAST I'M ASKING IS IF WE CAN GET ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES.

THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT FROM THESE TWO IS NOT SEPARATE ENTITIES.

YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE DIRT PIT AS ONE AND THEN THE HOUSING IS ONE.

THIS IS CUMULATIVE. THEY'RE GOING TO IMPACT EACH OTHER.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A STUDY ON THAT TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

I LIVE ON COMITE DRIVE. FLOODING IS A NIGHTMARE.

ABOUT 15 SECONDS, MA'AM. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING IS IF YOU DON'T DENY IF WE CAN DEFER THIS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'LL INVITE THE APPLICANT BACK FOR FIVE MINUTE REBUTTAL.

SO A QUICK REBUTTAL. WHEN WE TOOK THIS FACILITY OVER, WE HAD A SWPP PERMIT AND PLAN.

[01:35:03]

WE MET WITH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. IT WAS TO THEIR LIKING BACK IN 2012.

THAT WAS, THIS IS ALL PRE FLOOD EVERYTHING POST FLOOD CHANGED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

SO POST FLOOD RULES CHANGE. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO BECOME TO GET CURRENT WITH THE RULES.

WE HAVE HAD DEQ COME OUT TO THE SITE MULTIPLE TIMES.

THE DEQ ENFORCEMENT AGENT TOLD ME. HE SAID THIS IS THE WELL, THE BEST RUN FACILITY THAT WE HAVE SEEN.

HE SAID, THE WAY YOU ARE HANDLING WATER RUNOFF, YOUR EROSION CONTROL, YOUR SEDIMENT TRAPS.

HE SAID IT IS PERFECT. HE SAID THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH YOU IS THAT YOUR PERMIT IS EXPIRED.

AND THAT'S WHY WE GOT THAT FIXED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL OF EVERYTHING FIXED.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE ENGINEERING RIGHT TO GET UP TO THE CODES AND THE STANDARDS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

SO WE CAN DO THIS. WE'RE OFF OF THE ROAD. WE TRY TO LIMIT TRAFFIC.

WE TRY TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON WEEKENDS WHEN PEOPLE ARE HOME.

AND AS I SAID OVER 12 YEARS, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD RECORD ON WHAT WE'VE DONE.

WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH A NEIGHBOR. WE HAD WIND SHIFTED ONE DAY WITH TRUCKS AND WE HAD A LOT OF DUST GO IN HER HOUSE.

WE WENT TO THE LADY. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE ERROR.

WE SENT A WHOLE HOUSE WASHING TEAM. WE SENT AN AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY OUT THERE.

WE WASHED HER AIR CONDITIONING. WE WE WASHED OUR HOUSE.

WE SAID, WE'RE SORRY. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT THIS GOING FORWARD.

AND WE MADE OPERATIONAL CHANGES AND WE DID THAT.

SO THE THE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE IN THE AREA WERE VERY COGNITIVE OF THEM.

BUT WE ALSO WANT TO DO THINGS RIGHT GOING FORWARD.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CORRECT PERMITS ARE IN PLACE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE SINCE THE FLOOD OF 2016, THE RULES HAVE CHANGED VERY DRAMATICALLY FOR AN OPERATION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THIS IS, AS I SAID, WE'RE NOT A FIVE DAY A WEEK, 40 HOUR A WEEK OPERATION.

THIS IS AS NEEDED. SO IF THE WEATHER ALLOWS US TO OPERATE AND IF WE WHEN WE DO HAVE A CONTRACT, WE GO TO WORK, BUT WE TRY TO SHUT DOWN ON SUNDAYS, ESPECIALLY FOR WHEN PEOPLE ARE AT HOME.

SO AND ALSO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'VE STILL GOT TWO, 2.5 MINUTES LEFT.

THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE ANY QUESTIONS COMMENTS FOR THIS ITEM. COMMISSIONER ADDISON.

IF YOU COULD COME BACK UP, SIR. SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BROKEN.

YES, SIR. YOU SAID YOU MADE SOME CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE.

IT'S BEEN THE SINCE 2016. YOU OPERATED PRIOR TO THAT UP UNTIL NOW.

AND YOU NOW GETTING BACK IN COMPLIANCE BASED ON THE NEW REGULATIONS IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, SIR. THE, US BEING OUTSIDE OF THE REGULATIONS, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

AND SINCE THEN IT'S BEEN IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT SINCE 2016 THAT THESE NEW REGULATIONS HAVE COME INTO PLACE.

SO AFTER WE HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW, WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY WORK OUT THERE.

SO AND WE IT WAS, I THINK, OCTOBER, I'M SORRY, OCTOBER IS WHEN WE AGREED WITH CITY EAST BATON ROUGE.

WE HAD A CURRENT CONTRACT. WE ASKED THEM. WE SAID, LOOK, INSTEAD OF SHUTTING US DOWN, LET US FINISH THE CONTRACT.

LET US GET OUT. WHEN WE'RE DONE, WE'RE DONE. WE'LL STOP.

WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO GET THIS INTO COMPLIANCE, TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE THAT HAVE BEEN IMPOSED ON, WELL, THAT EAST BATON ROUGE HAS IMPOSED AND SAID THAT WE WERE OUT OF COMPLIANCE.

SO THIS IS THE FINAL STEP. WE HAVE GOTTEN OUR DEQ PERMIT.

WE'VE GOT THEY'RE GOOD. THEY'RE GOOD TO GO WITH OUR SWPP PLAN AS WELL FOR STORM WATER POLLUTION AND PREVENTION.

THAT'S DONE. WE HAVE DONE AND CHECKED EVERY BOX THAT I KNOW OF COURT CAN MAYBE I GUESS EXPAND ON EVERYTHING, ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE DONE.

SO THIS, THE LADY IS ASKING FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY.

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT LADY RIGHT NOW. OKAY.

NO, NO, NO, I WAS TALKING ABOUT COMPLIANCE. SURE.

AND I DO WANT TO FOLLOW BACK UP REAL QUICK ON THAT PART THAT YOU, ARE OPERATING SINCE 2012, CORRECT? 2016. SOME THINGS CHANGED AFTER THE FLOOD, AS YOU INDICATED.

IT WAS. YES, SIR. AFTER 2016, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE WORKING OUT OF COMPLIANCE FROM 2016 TO 2026.

[01:40:10]

WE HAD NO CLUE. OKAY. WELL, CLEARLY THEY DID NOT EITHER.

BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S A PART THAT SHE RAISED REGARDING SUBDIVISION.

I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SUBDIVISION. HOW CLOSE ARE YOU GUYS TO THE SUBDIVISION THAT'S GOING TO BE? OH, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE APPROVED SUBDIVISION.

I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT. THAT'S NOT NOTHING TO DO WITH US OR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU DAN, YOU'RE FINE. CAN YOU COME BACK? IF YOU DON'T MIND, MA'AM? HOW CLOSE ARE THEY TO THE APPROVED SUBDIVISION? THEY'RE VERY CLOSE. OKAY, SO SOMEBODY KNOW HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO SUBDIVISION? OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE SUBDIVISION. I MEAN, I COULD SHOW YOU ON A MAP. THIS GOES INTO COMITE DRIVE, WHICH THE NEW SUBDIVISION IS ON COMITE DRIVE, SO IT'S GOING TO BACK UP.

AND THE WATER SOURCES, WHITES BAYOU, WHICH RUNS BETWEEN THE BOTH OF THESE DIRT PITS THAT THEY'VE HAD AND THE NEW SUBDIVISION.

SEE, THE NEW SUBDIVISION WAS A DIRT PIT, ALSO ILLEGAL DIRT PIT.

AND HE PURCHASED THAT. AND NOW THAT DIRT PIT IS GOING TO BE A RETAINAGE POND.

SO IT'S STILL GOING TO BE THERE. PLUS, YOU HAVE THIS OTHER NETWORK OF PONDS.

AND THEN THE MORE DIGGING THEY WANT TO DIG, IT'S IN THE SAME FLOODPLAIN.

OH YEAH. AND THIS IS 95% FLOOD ZONE. SO IT'S JUST.

YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. RYAN. ACCORDING TO HOW CLOSE IS THIS TO THE APPROVED SUBDIVISION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? AND IT'S THIS COUNCIL. I MEAN, THE COUNCIL AND THIS BODY APPROVED AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE PIT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CUP RIGHT NOW, HOW CLOSE IS THE SUBDIVISION THAT IS BEING APPROVED, THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BUY THESE PROPERTIES AND BUY THESE HOMES? IS THIS THE NEW SUBDIVISION THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED? MAYBE SHE CAN ANSWER, I DON'T KNOW.

OKAY. WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT NOW. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE ORDINANCE REQUIRE ALL MINING AND EXCAVATION PORTIONS OF THIS OPERATION TO BE AT LEAST 1000FT FROM ANY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING, AND I CAN CONFIRM THAT HAS BEEN VERIFIED.

IS THAT THE CASE? HERE.

COME OUT, DOWN AND THEN TOWARDS THE BACK, WHICH IS.

MA'AM, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE MICROPHONE? WHAT I WANT TO DO I UNDERSTAND, I APPRECIATE YOU BECAUSE WE SEEM TO BE GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION. MY STAFF CAN'T GIVE ME ANY DIRECTIONS ON THAT PART. AND I DON'T WANT THE LADY TRYING TO DETECT ME WHERE THE DISTANCE IS RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR ME RIGHT NOW. OKAY. I MEAN, BECAUSE WHAT I RESERVE THIS RIGHT NOW. SIR, I'M SORRY I DID NOT CALL YOU.

IF YOU COULD HAVE A SEAT IN THE FRONT AND JUST IF SOMEONE CALLS ON YOU BECAUSE AGAIN, I MEAN, WE GOT A DIRT PIT MOVING FOR A CUP. WE GOT A MULTI MASS OF HOMES THAT WE'VE APPROVED FOR A FUTURE SUBDIVISION.

AND I NEED SOMEBODY TO TELL ME HOW FAR THIS PIT IS FROM THE APPROVED SUBDIVISION.

IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, I AM GOING TO ASK FOR A DEFERRAL SO WE CAN GET INFORMATION FOR IT FOR MY SAKE, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. I MEAN, BECAUSE WE DID A DIRT PIT.

WE GIVE APPROVAL FOR A DIRT PIT, BUT WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED A SUBDIVISION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE FAMILY TO BE SAFE DOWN THE ROAD.

DO WE KNOW WHEN THE SUBDIVISION WAS APPROVED? IF VANCE IS PULLING THAT UP RIGHT NOW, I CAN TELL YOU THERE IS NO HARD AND FAST BLACK AND WHITE REQUIREMENT FROM A SETBACK OF A PROPOSED SUBDIVISION. THE WAY THE LANGUAGE READS, IT'S A SETBACK REQUIREMENT FROM EXISTING RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS OF 1000FT, AND THEY, WITHOUT A DOUBT MEET THAT REQUIREMENT.

ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER ADDISON AT THIS TIME? OKAY. FROM EXIST WHERE THE LAST PROPOSED LOTS WERE IN THE SUBDIVISION FOR STILLWATER THAT WAS APPROVED TO THE EXISTING PONDS WAS APPROXIMATELY 2700FT TO THE EXPANSION OF THE POND THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT ABOUT 2000FT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU GOOD COMMISSIONER ADDISON? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER COLEMAN. MY QUESTION IS, DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCILMAN BECAUSE HE SAID TO ME THAT HE WAS AGAINST THIS.

QUICK ANSWER. NO, MA'AM, I HAVE NOT. NO, MA'AM.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? ANY MOTIONS? I MOVE FOR DENIAL.

[01:45:06]

COMMISSIONER ADDISON WOULD YOU CONSIDER A DEFERRAL FOR THIS ITEM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERED? YEAH, I WOULD. OKAY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO AMEND YOUR MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER 30 DAYS. 30 DAYS? YES. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR DEFERRING THIS ITEM FOR 30 DAYS.

AND THAT THAT MOTION IS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO DEFERRING THIS ITEM FOR 30 DAYS? SEEING NONE. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DEFERRED. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 13 WT-3-26.

[13. WT-3-26 Verizon Wireless Facility (1210 South Acadian Thruway) Proposed wireless communication tower on property located on the west side of South Acadian Thruway, north of Broussard Street, on property now or formerly known as Lot 7-A-2 of Cleon Place Subdivision. Section 96, T7S, R1E, GLD, EBRP, LA (Council District 7 - Harris)]

WT-3-26 VERIZON WIRELESS FACILITY 1210 SOUTH ACADIAN THRUWAY.

PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF SOUTH ACADIAN THRUWAY, NORTH OF BROUSSARD STREET.

COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. HARRIS. THE APPLICANT IS CHIP LAYSON.

THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A 120 FOOT WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TOWER.

FUTURE BR LAND USE DESIGNATION IS MIXED USE. WT-3-26 VERIZON WIRELESS FACILITY.

1210 SOUTH ACADIAN THRUWAY. STAFF CERTIFIES THAT THE PROPOSED REQUEST MEETS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION. COMMISSIONER MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 15 MINUTES. GOOD EVENING.

LAURA KROLL ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT. PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD REQUEST.

IT'S THE PROPOSED TOWER IS A 120 FOOT MONOPOLE.

IT WOULD REPLACE AN EXISTING WOODEN POLE. 60 FOOT POLE THAT'S ALREADY THERE THAT I BELIEVE THE EQUIPMENT ON IT IS OFF AIR RIGHT NOW.

THE NEED IS DOCUMENTED. NEED FOR THE TOWER IS DOCUMENTED IN THE PACKET WE SUBMITTED, WITH THE PROPAGATION MAP SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERAGE.

THERE'S A GAP IN THAT AREA. THIS IS C-1 ZONE.

SO IT IS PERMITTED AS OF RIGHT. BUT WE ARE REQUESTING A WAIVER OF SOME SETBACK REQUIREMENTS TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY LINES.