Thursday March 28th, 2024 1:30PM

'Changes' for entertainment venue lead to Gainesville City Council approval

GAINESVILLE – Approval was unanimous Tuesday evening by the Gainesville City Council to a rezoning ordinance and a special use resolution, clearing the way for the construction of a Bourbon Brothers restaurant and entertainment venue on 1.716-acres along Jesse Jewell Parkway at West Academy Street.

But that approval came only after some significant changes were made to the ordinance and the resolution initially presented to the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board in June.

Several months ago concerns were expressed by neighboring property owner, The Arts Council, about certain aspects of the project, so the city asked to have the agenda item tabled the evening it was scheduled to appear before the Planning and Appeals Board.   It was tabled and since then discussions involving city planners, the developer and members of The Arts Council have been ongoing.

But now the time had arrived and the requests for rezoning and special use were presented to council members Tuesday evening, but with some significant last minute changes added on.

Gainesville businessman Bob Mudd, speaking for Bourbon Brothers, presented a noticeably changed site plan to the city council; Gainesville’s Community and Economic Development Deputy Director, Matt Tate, presented to the council an amended set of conditions the city planning staff wanted included in the approval.

“As a result of some of the feedback that we have gotten from some of the neighbors we’ve worked diligently with our engineers to make some pretty significant changes,” Mudd told council members. 

Mudd gestured to a large picture of the new site plan and said, “First, the entertainment venue is made shorter and a little bit wider and moved such that the front door is facing Jesse Jewell and it abuts Maple Street which effectively gets us in the farthest destination away that we can from some of the concerns that were presented.”

“And we relocated the patio so it is not adjacent to The Arts Council property,” Mudd added.

Tate said the conditions attached to the application by city staff had also changed.  “There were three original conditions,” Tate explained, “but in light of some of the concerns raised…condition one has been revised…and then a new condition, condition four, has been added.”

“New condition four,” Tate began, “’Upon a minimum of eight weeks written notice from The Arts Council, Bourbon Brothers will not permit any amplified sound on the exterior patio of their campus up to a maximum of five Fridays and ten Saturdays per calendar year.’”

Duluth attorney Matt Reeves, speaking for The Arts Council, pointed at the new site plan and said, “If this site plan had been here earlier than the Planning (and Appeals Board meeting)…this probably would have been a totally different zoning.  It’s come a long way in a short amount of time…and we’re grateful for that.”

“And we’re grateful for the four new conditions that weren’t around before last Friday.  We appreciate those being proposed by the city and agreed to by Bourbon Brothers over the past few days,” Reeves said.

“But The Arts Council believes there is still more important, unfinished business.  The Arts Council is ready to continue working with you…so The Arts Council has made the request for this (re)zoning to be tabled,” Reeves said.

Despite the request to table the decision both the rezoning ordinance and the special use resolution received unanimous approval from the city council.

CITY COUNCIL OKAYS MIDTOWN APARTMENT COMMUNITY

Members of the Gainesville City Council could look out the line of windows adjacent to their seats and see the 4.86-acres site along Banks Street whose zoning they were about to vote on.

McNeal Development, LLC, hopes to construct three 4 and 5-story apartment building on the property.  The developer’s application says there will be a total of 214 multi-family, market-rate units on the property when finished.

The vote to approve the rezoning request and allow for the construction of Gainesville Midland was unanimous.

William Norris, speaking on behalf of McNeal Development, said, “Our units will front the Midtown Greenway…and we want to further enhance and use that space.”

“What you’re going to give is your local businesses more opportunities (for) their employees live here in downtown Gainesville,” Norris told council members.

According to the developer’s application the complex will include studio, one and two-bedroom units ranging from 638 to 1165-square feet.

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  • Associated Tags: Gainesville City Council, The Arts Council, Bourbon Brothers
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