Is Riverside/Avondale Ready For Mellow Mushroom?

[Timkin]

I've been reading MetroJax for a long time, but have only recently become motivated to "go legit" and actually sign up after reading this thread...  In the interest of full-disclosure, I know John Valentino, and have done a bit of fabrication work in the past for his other restaurants.  (I built the Bus at the beaches, and a couple of other "display pieces" for him.)  I like Mellow Mushroom's food, and enjoy the atmosphere in his restaurants.

Which leads to my point:  THEY'RE RESTAURANTS, NOT "NIGHTCLUBS".  If the criteria for being a "nightclub" is having a bar and playing music, then certainly The Brick, which does a smart business at their bar and plays music would have to be considered a "nightclub" as well, no?  And all this talk of "drunks running loose in the streets", and "rampant hooliganism" is absurd.  I would ask only that those who are so opposed to Mellow Mushroom GO AND VISIT ANY OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS.  Really, GO, and see for yourselves.  Go on a saturday night, late even, and what you'll find are nice folks chilling, probably eating (excellent) pizza, drinking a beer, watching a game on TV, and having a pretty MELLOW time.   It's not the Sodom and Gomorrah that the mouth-breather/NIMBY/competition-phobes would like to portray. 

Go.  See for yourselves.  Dare you.  Double Dog Dare you.

Pinky out.

Hello... Jx bch location is the closest one to me, and I love the old School Bus. Cool to know who did that

Welcome !!

[Allan D]

The parking challenges that the nearby residents of the Shoppes of Avondale are legitimate concerns to those residents.  Concerns that should be addressed, but not concerns that should be a surprise to those that purchased property so close to a shopping district. 

These challenges should be analyzed by a professional parking study and mitigated by the resulting, well thought out, solutions derived from that study.  Many of the potential solutions have been discussed on this thread.  Some could have immediate impact (valet, employee parking areas, "no parking" signs that are enforced), some short term impact (shuttles, shared parking) and some long term impact (fixed trolley lines).

Bill 2012-339 was a poor solution to the challenges the neighborhood faces.  It was a bill that tried to address legitimate neighbor concerns but pushed by vested interests (politically influential neighbors and currently operating restaurants) under the guise of being good neighborhood partners.

I apologize for the hyperbole, but it reeks of anti-trust.  The supporters of 2012-339 that spoke at Planning Commission and LUZ were either legitimately concerned neighbors or business owners who have benefited in the past from administrative deviations from parking requirements.

Mellow Mushroom or not, where is the solution to solve the challenge that exists today?  The bill may stop the bleeding, but the Planning Department and our Councilman need to find a proactive approach to avoid enacting these poorly thought out and reactive solutions.
   

[Intuition Ale Works]

The parking challenges that the nearby residents of the Shoppes of Avondale are legitimate concerns to those residents.  Concerns that should be addressed, but not concerns that should be a surprise to those that purchased property so close to a shopping district. 

These challenges should be analyzed by a professional parking study and mitigated by the resulting, well thought out, solutions derived from that study.  Many of the potential solutions have been discussed on this thread.  Some could have immediate impact (valet, employee parking areas, "no parking" signs that are enforced), some short term impact (shuttles, shared parking) and some long term impact (fixed trolley lines).

Bill 2012-339 was a poor solution to the challenges the neighborhood faces.  It was a bill that tried to address legitimate neighbor concerns but pushed by vested interests (politically influential neighbors and currently operating restaurants) under the guise of being good neighborhood partners.

I apologize for the hyperbole, but it reeks of anti-trust.  The supporters of 2012-339 that spoke at Planning Commission and LUZ were either legitimately concerned neighbors or business owners who have benefited in the past from administrative deviations from parking requirements.

Mellow Mushroom or not, where is the solution to solve the challenge that exists today?  The bill may stop the bleeding, but the Planning Department and our Councilman need to find a proactive approach to avoid enacting these poorly thought out and reactive solutions.

Could not have said it any better!

[Captain Zissou]

Would a food truck be allowed on the gas station property as it currently sits?  It would be nice to get some activity on that spot, it would get John a little bit of income from renting the space, and I'm pretty sure it would make the owner of the Brick furious.  I am in favor of all three of those things.

I hope that plan works, because my only other idea is to pelt the Brick with mushrooms nightly.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Would a food truck be allowed on the gas station property as it currently sits?  It would be nice to get some activity on that spot, it would get John a little bit of income from renting the space, and I'm pretty sure it would make the owner of the Brick furious.  I am in favor of all three of those things.

I hope that plan works, because my only other idea is to pelt the Brick with mushrooms nightly.

Someone made the same comment on their FB page.  How about this food truck...

[If_I_Loved_you]

Would a food truck be allowed on the gas station property as it currently sits?  It would be nice to get some activity on that spot, it would get John a little bit of income from renting the space, and I'm pretty sure it would make the owner of the Brick furious.  I am in favor of all three of those things.

I hope that plan works, because my only other idea is to pelt the Brick with mushrooms nightly.

How about putting up a Construction fence with Mellow Mushroom Logo around the whole area of the gas station to block off parking? http://www.fencescreen.com/configure/logo/about

[WmNussbaum]

This has gone on for thirty years, hopefully it is finally meeting some real pushback.

Good lord, Stephen, how far off can you possibly get. Look at Beach Blvd., Blanding Blvd., San Jose Blvd., Atlantic Blvd. and on and on and on. Development has always had its way in this city and those examples are what we have to show for it: thoroughfares that are ugly, overcrowded, and frequently traffic disasters. Who wants to live near to those places? Not me. And thank you very much, but I don't want St. Johns Avenue to go that way. Do you? Do you want rezoning to allow further commercial development of that roadway? That would seem to be okay with you, but not me or the majority of my neighbors.

[Tacachale]

^Right, because it's either endless suburban sprawl, or nothing.

[If_I_Loved_you]

This has gone on for thirty years, hopefully it is finally meeting some real pushback.

Good lord, Stephen, how far off can you possibly get. Look at Beach Blvd., Blanding Blvd., San Jose Blvd., Atlantic Blvd. and on and on and on. Development has always had its way in this city and those examples are what we have to show for it: thoroughfares that are ugly, overcrowded, and frequently traffic disasters. Who wants to live near to those places? Not me. And thank you very much, but I don't want St. Johns Avenue to go that way. Do you? Do you want rezoning to allow further commercial development of that roadway? That would seem to be okay with you, but not me or the majority of my neighbors.

Hey maybe Mellow Mushroom Customers can park on Hedrick St, Van Wert and Little Van Wert. Ingleside ave and last but not least Richmond St?

[mtraininjax]

JSO patrols Murray Hill with bikes, but they drive cruisers (3) three of them to a point, park, and then use the bikes in the neighborhood, so the cars would take up space somewhere in the neighborhood, unless we expect them to park at St. Vincent's and bike up and down St. Johns Avenue.

Sherwin Williams is a national brand and even though the owner obviously lives in Jax and it provide great, personal service, close to many residents it wasn't Bob's Paint Shop so not good enough.

The owner of the building lives across the street from me, here on Edgewood, and he tells us that there used to be a paint store there, before the gallery, back in the 60s. So it was fitting to bring SW into the neighborhood, and I am happy to support the local store!

Sure Steve at the Brick is not happy with John's proposal, Steve cannot expand his restaurant, and he is happy with what he has there, and before anyone badmouths Steve, he and his partners did help resurrect Avondale, his project was the first to really get that corner area of Ingleside/St. Johns happening again. Love it or not, The Brick helped make Avondale a desirable area, so I appreciate Steve for his business.

John was making some coin from the Brick employees parking on the site, so while its not a fortune, the space does get used.

[WmNussbaum]

Hey maybe Mellow Mushroom Customers can park on Hedrick St, Van Wert and Little Van Wert. Ingleside ave and last but not least Richmond St?

Maybe not if MM gets its way, but likely when someone with a similar development idea buys West Inn. Well, bring it on, I know how to turn my sprinklers on full blast.

[Pinky]

Hey maybe Mellow Mushroom Customers can park on Hedrick St, Van Wert and Little Van Wert. Ingleside ave and last but not least Richmond St?

Maybe not if MM gets its way, but likely when someone with a similar development idea buys West Inn. Well, bring it on, I know how to turn my sprinklers on full blast.

LOL - Surely you'll have to, to help wash away the Rivers Of Vomit, Trash, Assorted Filth, Used Condoms and Undesirable Pedestrians which you predict will accompany any sort of restaurant opening anywhere near you. 

[WmNussbaum]

Pinkie, I never said it was as bad as vomit or condoms. Why do you put words in my mouth? Using exaggeration to discredit a valid position?

Hey, Pinkie, where do you live, and can I bring my friends by to muck up your neighborhood?

[JFman00]

Pinkie, I never said it was as bad as vomit or condoms. Why do you put words in my mouth? Using exaggeration to discredit a valid position?

Hey, Pinkie, where do you live, and can I bring my friends by to muck up your neighborhood?

I think he's exaggerating with this in mind:

I'm a few blocks away and hopefully insulated from having to wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and move Bud Light beer cans, cigarette filters, and other rubbish from the street, but those living closer to the Shoppes can expect that on a regular basis.

[KEGreene1]

This has gone on for thirty years, hopefully it is finally meeting some real pushback.

Good lord, Stephen, how far off can you possibly get. Look at Beach Blvd., Blanding Blvd., San Jose Blvd., Atlantic Blvd. and on and on and on. Development has always had its way in this city and those examples are what we have to show for it: thoroughfares that are ugly, overcrowded, and frequently traffic disasters. Who wants to live near to those places? Not me. And thank you very much, but I don't want St. Johns Avenue to go that way. Do you? Do you want rezoning to allow further commercial development of that roadway? That would seem to be okay with you, but not me or the majority of my neighbors.

He wants to use the same buildings that are there!  How can you compare putting in a MM at a run down gas station and a former restaruant/high end store with those areas?!?!?  It is the outrageous Chicken Little statements like that one that make people like me extremely angry.  You sound like a crazy old man.