Loading...
2004-03-1 Meeting Report (Feedstore BBQ Store)SPIN Citywide Forum for Neighborhoods #9e and #9w Topic: Zoning Issues Relating to the Feedstore BBQ Store Monday, March 1, 2004 7:00 p.m. Senior Activity Center 307 Parkwood Drive Summary of Questions and Comments So what you are saying is that the square footage would exceed the "C I zoning? The replatting there is two replats, what about the replat for the homestead what is the proposed zoning for that rezoning? When the City changed the Land Use Plan, the Feedstore was grandfathered in and was allowed to be commercial, correct? Is there not a way that you could approach the City and have them grandfather the additional 198 square feet in a variance form? Kind of giving you our thought, we like you guys and you are a good family, but like you said when you bought your property in 1997 it was a fledging business and you didn't purchase the property with the intent to operate a commercial venture. When I bought my property next to you, I researched the property and it looked like it was a business that would not last. There was never any intention to have a commercial retail venture next to the neighborhood. The basic fact is that a commercial business like this is not typical in neighborhoods that is why zoning exists. Just like when you bought the Feedstore to protect your values, I don't have the ability right now to protect my values. Now it has a commercial feel, you are talking about expanding the business and selling alcohol. But, as neighbors, you wouldn't like it if I put a car lot in front of my property, and I don't like having this commercial venture in front of your house. Those are our feelings; if anyone else was looking to put a commercial venture up or down the street, no one would want it there. Basically, a) it needs to get into regulation, and b) the neighbors don't want to see this expanded. I have never had a city let me continue to operate outside of the regulations; they force me to get in line with regulations. The City should have had a public hearing when the restaurant went in so that the public would have had input in this before it ever went in. I drive through this city every day; traffic is bumper to bumper wherever you drive. The neighbors are concerned about increasing the size of the restaurant, they are concerned about the increased parking, there are concerned about the increased traffic. How soon are you going to be talking about getting a license to open a bar there. When you bought the property, you didn't intend to open a restaurant there, so what are the guarantees that you won't want to expand and open a bar there. You say that you simply want to bring this into conformity with zoning, why don't you just reduce the square footage to the required amount. The people that support you don't live next to this restaurant. I don't want this expanded. When is this going to stop, we don't want this expanded. Since you opened the restaurant, the number of cars parking on that site is ever increasing. You own the adjacent property, so you have the ability to take down the fence and increase and increase the parking. You are currently using agriculturally zoned property to park cars for a restaurant. I did not see this happening when I bought my property. I live right next door to you and closed on the house on December 14. When I looked at this area when I was buying my property, with your change to SP -1 and the adjacent C -2 zoning it would seem that there would be a chance to expand the property and join in with the other commercially zoned property, thus changing this into a commercial area. SPIN Citywide Forum for Neighborhoods #9e and #9w Topic: Zoning Issues Relating to the Feedstore BBQ Store Monday, March 1, 2004 7:00 p.m. Senior Activity Center 307 Parkwood Drive Summary of Questions and Comments You are requesting SP -1, typically in the City this type of zoning is for parks and community services, why don't you go for zoning that is consistent with a restaurant? Are you going to go to adjustment with this, because even if you go for SP -1 zoning your required setbacks would not be met, and you would have to have a further variance? I have no problem with you being there, I think the right approach is to go to the City and see if they will grant you a variance for the 198 square feet. One of my concerns is that there is a whole lot of pedestrian traffic there and the lighting is bad, from the City's perspective that screams liability. If you would tighten up those driveways a little bit it would make a world of difference in the safety of that area. Here are the Feedstore facts it seems very different from what has been discussed tonight. October 2000 building permit was issued for 1,900 square feet in C1 zoning. Tarrant Appraisal District data shows the current square footage today as 2,600 square feet. There are multiple outside storage violations. If you go look at the aerial photos on the City's website it shows one outside storage area that is screened. None of the outside storage that you have on that site today except for the refuse containers in 2001. Taxes are paid on this property for agricultural exemptions and are used for commercial purposes. I would ask that the City please deny this request but require him to comply with zoning ordinances that currently exist and have existed I have heard three things tonight 1) people okay with what it is and don't want to see it grow; 2) people who don't like it and are looking for any reason to have it close; and 3) people that just don't like it at all. I like the current establishment; it is nice to be in the neighborhood. I understand the concerns about the traffic issues. I think the alcohol issues are ridiculous. This was a commercial venture when you bought your houses. We need to separate the issues and find a way to get this in compliance in an agreeable fashion. There is a lot of difference when you want to go from a small size 1/3 acre facility where the road widens and it looks like it goes away, and a facility and a 1.4 acre commercial establishment. There is a lot of difference when you have a facility that violates every regulatory protection on the books. If you were on FM 1709 I would applaud you, but in a residential area I have a problem with you. My perspective is 1) that I oppose this rezoning, and the only way that I could support this is if you were able to get variances on the current zoning for the additional square footage. What is the process that you have to go through to get this request approved? Is it different than going for some type of variance on the additional square footage? In 1997 there was approval for this without any type of meeting to give us an opportunity for input. You keep speaking about arbitrarily putting a C1 zoning on this way back when, but the City arbitrarily approved a permit for this facility without giving us a chance to participate. If he gets SP -1 Zoning, he cannot make changes without further approval outside of what was approved. The SP -1 zoning offers more protection than a variance to the homeowners. I don't understand the process, why can't the City admit they made a mistake and allow the additional square footage? SPIN Citywide Forum for Neighborhoods #9e and #9w Topic: Zoning Issues Relating to the Feedstore BBQ Store Monday, March 1, 2004 7:00 p.m. Senior Activity Center 307 Parkwood Drive Summary of Questions and Comments Bottom line there are only two options you have one type of zoning, so you have to bring the facility into compliance with the zoning you have, or you have to get the zoning necessary to do what you want to do with this facility. If you reduce square footage to the amount specified in the zoning, and run your business on a 1/3 acre site, there would not be a problem. The problem is Bill, that you can't run your business the way that you want to on a 1/3 acre site under 2,000 square feet. If we just did what you have said, be what you are and in compliance, you have a 1/3 acre commercial site, use the 1/3 acre commercial site and don't park on land zoned for agricultural uses. Regarding outside storage, that doesn't exist in that 2001 photo, you currently are using that container and it is wired to your building, correct? You are already using agriculturally zoned property to support your commercially zoned property, as it has direct support functions to your business. What is your seating capacity now? What would it be if you enclosed the back patio area like you mentioned? Bill, we all like you and wish you well, but we don't like this venture in our back yards. So we are just going to have to let the City decide this and hope we can all be friends afterwards. There has been a lot of discussion about a variance for the additional 198 square feet, but there are enough concerned citizens here to would support you in going for a variance for the additional square feet, so why can't you go forward with that approach versus what the City has told you? You are also asking to go from 1/3 acre to 1.42 acres, right? I want to make sure that I understand this, is that a part of your request? Just one quick thing, I want to add to what has been said earlier. First of all, I want to compliment you on how you have built your business there. That is part of the reason that we are here your growth has been so fast it has been startling. What I want to hear from you and the City is that you are not going to continue to expand this in our neighborhood. If you want to run this type of business, go get on a boulevard somewhere and we would support you. You just answered the question as to why they want to go SP -1, because if he is approved for this zoning, he cannot change anything then this zoning would tie his hands. Whatever is on that property has to be what it is right there. You are telling this man to go get SP zoning. My biggest concern is that when I bought my property, this restaurant was a small neighborhood restaurant, not a large commercial enterprise. You have suggested that you went to the City and told them what you wanted to do with this property, and the City has told you to go get this SP zoning? What is the size of that building you have up on the screen right now that shows future expansion? You ever thought about selling this whole deal to the neighbors? What is the dimension of the patio on that slide? It looks like about 1,500 square feet. Just for the fun of it, why don't you give the neighbors a price on that 1/3 acre? SPIN Citywide Forum for Neighborhoods #9e and #9w Topic: Zoning Issues Relating to the Feedstore BBQ Store Monday, March 1, 2004 7:00 p.m. Senior Activity Center 307 Parkwood Drive Summary of Questions and Comments Tonight we are getting into a lot of nuts and bolts, the fact of the matter is, and I don't live on White Chapel. The Feedstore BBQ, I believe, is of cultural importance to this area, to show people what this place was like at one time. We are coming to your neighborhood next week, don't worry. I just think that what you folks need to do is go down to the City and ask for clarification on what SP zoning is whatever is approved is what it has to stay at. But the property could change in the future, whereas if you have already started out as C1, go to SP -1, it would follow that there could be a basis for further changes in the future.