People in Brooksville could have a new dining option now that the Brooksville City Council has given its initial approval for a zoning change that would allow the restaurant to be developed.
During the June 6 regular City Council meeting, engineer Alan Garman of Procivil 360 LLC told the Council that property owner Wayne Doyle was seeking the rezoning of a half-acre parcel including a single property dwelling on the west side of Howell Avenue from Ri-B medium density residential to PDP-C planned development project commercial to allow him to establish a 1,923 restaurant on the first floor of the residence. The property is situated east of the First Baptist Church, he said.
“The project is to take an old house and convert the first floor into a quaint sit-down breakfast and lunch eatery for crepes and coffee – a place to socialize,” Garman said.
The second floor of the residence would be used for storage, he said.
Garman also told the panel that its approval would be for use of the property as a restaurant only.
“It’s not a straight commercial (rezoning) so that if something happened to the restaurant, it could only be used as a restaurant,” he said. “If someone had another commercial use for it, they would have to come before the (zoning) board.”
City planner Steve Gouldman recommended the rezoning be approved, but some Council members including Mayor Pat Brayton questioned Doyle’s intention to provide at least 15 parking spaces in a grass lot adjacent to the cafe.
“My concern is that if you have two or three cars parked and there is a rainstorm, the city is not liable and that it’s up to the owners to get them out of there,” Brayton said.
In response, City Attorney John Cary told the panel that if the Council approved the proposed plan, the city would bear no liability “by virtue of state law.”
Finally, the panel unanimously approved the first reading of the proposed rezoning plan with the exemption “of not having to pave the parking lot.”
The Council will reconsider the measure during its next regular meeting on June 20.
