Mellow Mushroom: Working with the Avondale community

[thelakelander]

Why do you keep singling out these two specific individuals? Are you claiming that RAP is down to two people or that no other RAP member has any backbone? Also do you know how we can find out the list of individuals who make up the group WLA, LLC?

Because one is the executive director of the organization and the other one is the power behind the throne, obviously, Lake. 

At the end of the day, its their responsibility

So what do you believe or hope will happen by pinning everything on two people? Is it your hope that they'll make We Love Avondale and the restaurant owners, who are afraid of competition, disappear?

[mtraininjax]

Thank the good lord, most of you have never run a restaurant. Stephen has but I do not hear him discussing that MM in Avondale will not make it. To think that MM will not make it is akin to Biden telling everyone that Romney will put you "back in chains", it is absurd! Go Romney!

the Gas Station carries a great deal of history and nostalgia with many people in the neighborhood.

The Gas Station is a DUMP! DUMP! DUMP! DUMP! I drive by it DAILY, it continues to be a DUMP, that allows parking on top of it, so what if the new design is a parking lot, it is NOW A PARKING LOT. Move on from it!

I was at Mojo #4 last night, was there from 9:30-10:30, and was speaking with Richard one of the assistant managers, we discussed what was happening with MM, and we agreed, had the roles been reversed and M#4 been trying to get in now, versus MM, they would have faced the same issues. MM was just the ones left standing when the music stopped without a chair.

John and his family will do well with this new restaurant, as evidenced by what Mojo #4 has done, the places was well attended, even at 10:30, as was the Brick, MM will succeed and thrive and do well, and I will support them as I do all the Avondale restaurants. With or without the DUMP of an old gas station!

[JeffreyS]

I  agree with you here Mtrain (except for the Go Romney). 

[If_I_Loved_you]

I  agree with you here Mtrain (except for the Go Romney).

Ditto (expect for the Willard Mitt Romney).

[tufsu1]

Ridiclous....I'm not a fan of some things RAP does, but its far more than 2 people....the Board would have to approve major policy recommendations....and that likely means getting 8+ votes

[Fallen Buckeye]

Seems like much ado about nothing. If you built a new restaurant that abuts the street and has bike racks and patio seating downtown or in Springfield we'd all see this as a win. So what if the community makes a few demands? It's give and take. In the end, hopefully there will be a thriving business in what used to be mainly an empty lot. It's not like the gas station even had interesting architecture like that art deco European Street.

[ben says]

Which business owners are specifically against MM? I'd like to know who not to frequent.

The Brick and Blue Fish, mainly.

[tufsu1]

Ridiclous....I'm not a fan of some things RAP does, but its far more than 2 people....the Board would have to approve major policy recommendations....and that likely means getting 8+ votes

Well no one expected you to have any other opinion TUFSU1.  Isnt one of your business associates on the board of RAP, incidentally?

no...but if I'm not mistaken, one of yours is

[Pinky]

Which business owners are specifically against MM? I'd like to know who not to frequent.

The Brick and Blue Fish, mainly.

Another poster stated that Ian at The Fox was beefing about it as well, although it's unclear if he's part of the WLA group specifically.  I can't imagine that Mellow isn't going to "eat his lunch",if you'll pardon the pun.  I mean, who's going to line up outside instead of just walking across the street to Mellow?  (Mimosas with brunch FTW!!)

[WeAreVast_WeAreAvondale]

From KnowGrowth:

Apparently MJ is some many weeks behind in the news and information department.

The WLA "Opposition Group" gang is vast.

Avondale citizens are not going to stare transfixed in to the headlights of "inevitable" negative impacts,"growth".

[WeAreVast_WeAreAvondale]

[WeAreVast_WeAreAvondale]

[WeAreVast_WeAreAvondale]

[TheCat]

^funny.

This below is from the "we love avondale" website. They posted this Saturday, August 25:


Aug 25 â€" This past week, both the Land Use Zoning committee (LUZ) and the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission (JHPC) deferred their decisions regarding the Mellow Mushroom applications.

The minutes for each meeting will be available upon request to the City for anyone wishing to read the full discussion.

Thanks to the many We Love Avondale neighbors and friends who attended both meetings, and also to our general counsel, George Gabel and Jennifer Mansfield of Holland and Knight, and to Jonathan  Oliff and Carmen Godwin from RAP â€" all of whom provided insight and comments about the various areas of concern.

It is our take that both committees understood both the magnitude of this project and it’s potential impact, with a true desire to “get it right” and we appreciate their wish to have due process.

We understand that Mellow Mushroom is now again revising their plans in response to these discussions, and we are hopeful their architect and planners will take seriously the concerns voiced.

The next steps in the process are as follows:

8/30 â€" Planning Commission â€" will defer MM on the merits and decide whether to set the next hearing for  the 9/27 meeting at 5 p.m. Stay tuned for the date and time for which it gets set.

9/3 â€" LUZ meeting to again consider withdrawal of the PUD.

9/19 JHPC at 5:00 p.m. special design review meeting on MM (to be confirmed)

9/26 JHPC at 5:00 p.m. (if not scheduled for 9/19)

9/27 Planning Commission (to consider administrative deviation for parking and zoning exception for outside sales and service of alcohol).

[ChriswUfGator]

Mellow Mushroom is being led down the primrose path. It's obvious that a vocal minority just doesn't want the restaurant there, period, and that the only way they'll ever agree on a set of conditions is if they include enough arbitrary restrictions to guarantee that the restaurant won't succeed. Though I'm sure the two gentlemen behind WeLoveAvondale, LLC must think they're very clever, this is not particularly sophisticated. I'm actually beginning to think that if the ownership of Mellow is this abysmally stupid, as appears the case since they keep agreeing to each new set of moving targets, then they deserve what they've obviously got coming to them.