Spirit Animal Beer and Wine Bar Coming to Five Points

[Tacachale]

So the appellants are going to list surprise demands tomorrow at the zoning meeting?  Do they not have a deadline to issue their complaints so that this process can move forward?  This is turning into The Roost (is that even the name? It's been so long that I've forgotten) part 2.  Thanks RAP

That's my understanding. From what I can see, the surprise demands are coming from the other appellants rather than RAP. Though RAP is still part of the same appeal.

[Captain Zissou]

So the appellants are going to list surprise demands tomorrow at the zoning meeting?  Do they not have a deadline to issue their complaints so that this process can move forward?  This is turning into The Roost (is that even the name? It's been so long that I've forgotten) part 2.  Thanks RAP

That's my understanding. From what I can see, the surprise demands are coming from the other appellants rather than RAP. Though RAP is still part of the same appeal.

That's absurd.  They are just trying to bleed Spirit Animal dry so that they give up.  They likely don't even have any real demands other than to ruin the business

I wrote to Matt and expressed my concerns.

[MEGATRON]

RAP is a truly horrible organization that needs to disappear.

[jcjohnpaint]

I don't understand why RAP does not just stick to their written standards.  If the restaurant meets the standards then it should move forward.  We have been living in R/A for about 3 years and RAP (to us) feels more like NIMBY lobbyists and bullies. 

[Tacachale]

I don't understand why RAP does not just stick to their written standards.  If the restaurant meets the standards then it should move forward.  We have been living in R/A for about 3 years and RAP (to us) feels more like NIMBY lobbyists and bullies.

The issue here is the outdoor seating would have to be built new. It's not "by right" in the zoning - they can have a restaurant, but needed an exception for the outdoor patio. The Planning Commission approved that, which is what led to the appeal by RAP and the two neighbors.  So at this point, the owners' options are pretty limited. They can make an agreement with all the appellants by 5 pm today - and it seems unlikely the two neighbors will go for that - or they see if LUZ will support it, and risk further appeals at every later step.

[jaxjags]

From an outsiders view RAP seems to do more harm than good. How was it formed? Is it funded? Why do they have so much power? If it is zoned for commercial and planning has approved the deck, then RAP and others should go away. If you buy land near airport you have planes. If you buy a house beside a commercial zoned property you will have a business. Common sense.

[jcjohnpaint]

Thanks Tac.  It does seem that SA is giving RAP what they request, but it seems like the neighbors come back with something and RAP changes the expectations based on these two neighbors (who are going to keep changing the expectations until SA gives up).  When we moved to this neighborhood, we visited each area at different times and made our conclusions on what we experienced.  If 5 points was a shitty neighborhood years past, it did not mean it would and should be that way forever.  Seeing what happened to Roost, I feel RAP is trying to be something it is not.  It was for historic preservation and has now become the mafia for backwards neighbors.   

[jaxjags]

Thanks Tac.  It does seem that SA is giving RAP what they request, but it seems like the neighbors come back with something and RAP changes the expectations based on these two neighbors (who are going to keep changing the expectations until SA gives up).  When we moved to this neighborhood, we visited each area at different times and made our conclusions on what we experienced.  If 5 points was a shitty neighborhood years past, it did not mean it would and should be that way forever.  Seeing what happened to Roost, I feel RAP is trying to be something it is not.  It was for historic preservation and has now become the mafia for backwards neighbors.

Exactly, historic preservation is not the same as zoning and code approval/changes/enforcement.

[Bill Hoff]

From an outsiders view RAP seems to do more harm than good. How was it formed? Is it funded? Why do they have so much power? If it is zoned for commercial and planning has approved the deck, then RAP and others should go away. If you buy land near airport you have planes. If you buy a house beside a commercial zoned property you will have a business. Common sense.

Dude. Do a bit of research. Talk with them. Spouting uniformed opinions is not productive.

[thelakelander]

We're hearing the appeal was approved and the project is now dead.

[JaxAvondale]

That is just sad.

[Tacachale]

The appeal was approved based on the parking requirement, which was something touched on and seemingly resolved after the Planning Commission approved the project, but hadn't really been a factor since. It wasn't even part of the appeal that the LUZ committee voted to approve. It pays to have Paul Harden on your side. Essentially several council members were concerned about Riverside's parking problem, that great boogeyman of Jacksonville's urban core. They bought into the thinking that this development doesn't add any more spots (to dozens they have in the complex). Council Member Becton made great points about how people in Riverside, you know, walk as well as drive, but that was lost on some of his colleagues. Only he and Broche voted against the appeal.

RAP signed on to the last agreement with all their concessions met, and went so far as to support the project tonight. It seemed pretty clear that the other appellants' goal was just to kill the project. If they had an interest in compromise they wouldn't have kept the parking thing until today.

#itseasierhere

[jaxjags]

From an outsiders view RAP seems to do more harm than good. How was it formed? Is it funded? Why do they have so much power? If it is zoned for commercial and planning has approved the deck, then RAP and others should go away. If you buy land near airport you have planes. If you buy a house beside a commercial zoned property you will have a business. Common sense.

Dude. Do a bit of research. Talk with them. Spouting uniformed opinions is not productive.

Just an opinion which I can have. See what happened. I rest my case.

[jaxjags]

From an outsiders view RAP seems to do more harm than good. How was it formed? Is it funded? Why do they have so much power? If it is zoned for commercial and planning has approved the deck, then RAP and others should go away. If you buy land near airport you have planes. If you buy a house beside a commercial zoned property you will have a business. Common sense.

Dude. Do a bit of research. Talk with them. Spouting uniformed opinions is not productive.

Just an opinion which I can have. See what happened. I rest my case.

Just saw Tacs comment - Sorry. I sill believe these areas will never be like many urban neighborhoods due to too many restrictions, especially parking.  A walkable area doesn't need parking. People should NOT be able to kill a project that meets zoning and is approved by a governing board just because they don't like it, I am sure there are many, Roost and Kings avenue. Historic preservation  seems to have gone too far.

[thelakelander]

Just saw Tacs comment - Sorry. I sill believe these areas will never be like many urban neighborhoods due to too many restrictions, especially parking.

This. They won't. The policies don't allow for true urbanism at a grander scale. It would be good to have an area of the core carved out, identified and allowed to blossom independently. I'd bet the house, it would quickly become one of the hottest scenes in the city.