Claiming financial hardship, the owners of 279 Purchase Street applied to the Planning Commission to amend the site approval granted in 2006. The application was approved with the caveat that no food-related service would be permitted.

 

By Robin Jovanovich

 

Claiming financial hardship, the owners of 279 Purchase Street applied to the Planning Commission to amend the site approval granted in 2006. The application was approved with the caveat that no food-related service would be permitted.

 

Fast forward to the recent application by Travers Owners LLC for a Peachwave Frozen Yogurt Self-Service Store at this location. Close to 100 neighbors of the property showed up at the January 8 Planning Commission meeting to express their opposition to the plan. Many emailed and called City officials. At least a dozen neighbors also showed up at this week’s Planning Commission meeting.

 

Their primary concerns are increased traffic in a family neighborhood where speeding is ram- pant and traffic volume is already high; noise; garbage disposal and litter; shortage of parking spaces with the limited parking at 279 Purchase, and the fact that illegal all-day parking occurs with little enforcement.

 

Neighbors have sent the Commission a flyer asking for them to “Protect Our Quality of Life.” They’ve done their homework, too. In the flyer, they note that since Fresh Green Light driving school moved from their space at 279 Purchase, only Dunkin Donuts and Peachwave have expressed interest in leasing the vacant space. Wappanocca neighbors wonder what is to prevent a real fast-food business, like Dunkin Donuts, from moving in some day soon, if the ban on food- related business is amended.

 

Hillside Road resident Suzanne Adams made the following observation at the January 22 Planning meeting: “Are you aware there are two other yogurt shops within a mile of the proposed one?”

 

Richard Azer, a Wappanocca resident, encouraged Planning to use the strictest interpretation of the law. “When I take my kids to Rockridge Deli (across the street from 279 Purchase), I drive because it’s so dangerous to cross that section of Purchase Street.” He added, “A peninsula is not an appropriate place to increase traffic. There is so much code violation — speeding, illegal parking at the nail salon — and no enforcement.”

 

Members of the Lagana family, who own Rockridge, pointed out that the area is already highly congested and the traffic data on record inaccurate.

 

Longtime Ridge Street resident Peggy Peters went to the podium to hand the Commission three more letters of opposition from neighbors and to ask them to consider another point: If the owner had applied for a food-based retail business in 2006, wouldn’t he have been required to create more parking?

 

In response to a number of questions from residents, City Planner Christian Miller explained that the B-1 Zone allows for food- based retail but does not permit fast food restaurants. “Planning wanted to keep food-based to a minimum.”

 

Planning Chair Nick Everett concluded discussion of the matter Tuesday night by informing the public that the hearing on the application would be continued. “We have a proposal from the traffic engineer consultant working for the City on this. It will take about four weeks for us to review the information.”