C-AB-1 Issues

Millennial Park developers CONTINUE to mislead the Metro Council about the planned size of their project

At the last Metro Council meeting on January 20th, 2021 Millennial Park developers told the Metro Council that it has reduced it's plan for the number of shipping container businesses to a total of 5 containers containing businesses. On that date there were 7 shipping containers housing businesses on their property. Currently, as of March 12th, 2021 there are 9 shipping containers housing businesses that are either open, awaiting final inspection to open or under construction. So what happened to a total of 5? Video clip of the last Metro Council meeting where developers emphatically state they plan for only 5 containers in the development
It's chronic deception and outright lies that keep residents mistrust alive and growing. Developers have been doing this since the first Planning Comission meeting all the way thru the Metro Council meetings. Clearly they feel they can say whatever they need to say to get their rezoning proposal passed.

1. Clothing shop 2. Jive Turkey restaurant 3. Wing Box under construction 4. 32 Degrees Gourmet Shaved Ice

5. Burgers & Funnels 6. Memphis Mac BBQ 7. Unnamed container 8. Green Acres Salads & Soups 9. Sweet Jones Farm

Neighborhood concerns regarding a C-AB-1 Rezoning

Park Hills residents are encouraged that Millennial Park developers have changed their rezoning application to C-AB-1 restaurant serving alcohol. That designation is a much better than C-AB-2 bar/lounge. A restaurant serving alcohol will certainly be less disruptive than 2 bars. That being said the C-AB-1 designation does raise some concerns.

Reducing the footprint for the proposed rezone area is appropriate

The current rezoning footprint involves 3 plots, plot 1, 2 and a portion of plot 3. This footprint should be reduced to just a portion of the permament structure on plot 1&2.

The premanent structure on plots 1 &2 is the only portion of the rezoning footprint that meets the requirements to be approved for a liquor permit of any kind per ABC requirements.
Developers current plans call for a Noire Chinese Restaurant to go into the rear half of the premament structure on plot 1 & 2. This restaurant is the ONLY business that will be approved by ABC for C-AB-1 becasue it's in the permanent structure.
The front half of the permanent structure currently houses Husl Hookah Lounge. Developers have dropped plans for this spacee to house Husl Sports Bar. A Hookah lounge can not sell alcohol and does not require a liquor permit of any kind. So that portion of the permament structure doesn't need to change its zoning designation.
Currently in front of the permament structure, on what was once store front parking there is a container business called Sweet Jones Farms and 4VicFarms. They sell locally grown produce, fresh seafood and a line of CBD smokable product. This business is not a restaurant and does not need a C-AB-1 designation.

The original permament structure before Millennial Park. As you can see developers have improved this piece of land, no one is denying that.

The current view of plot 2 after developers placed 2 containers on the original store front parking.

Side view of premenent structure and the containers placed in front of the building. The portion with the 2 windows is a storage container. The permanent structure begins where the elevated roof is and where Husl Hookah Lounge will be located. Plot 1 is the strip of parking running along the side of the structure.

Sweet Jones Farms in the container. Husl Hookah and Noire Chinese Rest occupy the permanent structure.

The proposed rezoning footprint also includes a protion of plot 3 as designated in red on the plot map pics. That small portion currently has 2 containers under construction on it. One was going to be a Daiquiri Bar and the other is slated to be Green Acres Salad & Soups according to developers.
Developers have also talked about making this portion of plot 3 into an outdoor patio where patrons of the Noire Chinese Restaurant can eat and consume alcohol.
The patio idea on plot 3 has permiting issues that will not allow this to happen based on DPW and ABC code requirements.
DPW & ABC code call for a patio to a C-AB-1 restaurant to be adjacent to the restaurant. You have to be able to walk out of the restaurant directly onto the patio. That type of layout is not possible with the current footprint. Plot 3 is no where near the rear of the permanent structure where the chinese restaurant will be.
ABC will not issue a liquor permit of any kind to a business that is not in a permanent structure. EBR Parish code does not classify a storage container as a permament strcture. So trying to do something with containers that serve alcohol on this plot will never meet code requirements.
For these reasons this portion of Plot 3 does not need to be rezoned to C-AB-1.
Why rezone property that does not meet parish code for a C-AB-1 designation?
In the end only the rear portion of the permament structure that will house Noire Chinese Restaurant needs a C-AB-1 zoning designation. There is no need for rest of the proposed rezone footprint to be given.

The portion of Plot 3 in the rezoning footprint runs from the green containe to the left edge of the orange container. Sweet Jones Farms is located behind the large HUSL sign.

View of Plot 3 portion. Runs from the back of the orange container(where red trash can is) to the back of the green container that butts up to the black fence. You can see the concrete/asphalt seperation. The Plot 3 portion in the rezoning ask is the concrete portion and ends where the asphalt begins. Sweet Jones Farms business is located directly behind the green container.

Florida Blvd view of the plot 3 portion ending where you see the small wooden fence.

As you can see Plot 3 portion is not adjacent to the permanent structure.

View of the side of the permanent structure. No exit of any kind can be seen. It is a beautiful mural though.