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10 O'CLOCK WE WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
SO WELCOME TO THE JULY 15TH MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON CITY PLANNING COMMISSION.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONSISTS OF RICHARDSON RESIDENTS APPOINTED TO THE CITY APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THERE ARE USUALLY SEVEN REGULAR MEMBERS AND TWO ALTERNATES ON THE COMMISSION.
TONIGHT THERE ARE FIVE, WHICH IS ENOUGH TO HAVE A QUORUM AND ALSO ENOUGH TO AVOID A TIE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO TIES.
UM, SO TONIGHT, UH, IN, IN THE CASE, WELL, I GUESS WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALTERNATES.
WE HAVE ALL FIVE FOLKS AND ALL FIVE FOLKS ARE NOT ALTERNATES TO BEGIN WITH.
SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO, UM, THE NEXT ITEM HERE.
THIS MEETING IS A BUSINESS MEETING AND WILL BE CONDUCTED AS SUCH IN THAT REGARD.
AS A COURTESY TO THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, WE WILL REQUEST THAT ALL DEVICES THAT EMIT SOUND BE TURNED OFF OR ADJUSTED SO AS TO NOT INTERRUPT THE MEETING.
THIS WILL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
EACH PUBLIC HEARING IS PROPOSED BY A STAFF INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUEST OR PROCEEDED BY A STAFF INTRODUCTION OF THE REQUEST.
AND THE APPLICANT IS THEN PERMITTED 15 MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION.
THEY MAY RESERVE ANY PORTION OF THIS TIME FOR A FINAL REBUTTAL.
TIME SPENT IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE COMMISSION IS NOT COUNTED AGAINST THE APPLICANT.
THOSE WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST WILL ALSO BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
IF THERE ARE ORGANIZED GROUPS IN ATTENDANCE, WE SUGGEST THAT YOU SELECT REPRESENTATIVES TO REPRESENT YOUR OBJECTIONS.
THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN GATHERING NEW AND RELEVANT INFORMATION.
WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN REPETITION.
AND PLEASE ADDRESS ALL COMMENTS TO THE COMMISSION, NOT TO MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.
AFTER A BRIEF REBUTTAL BY THE APPLICANT, THE HEARING WILL BE CLOSED AND NO FURTHER TESTIMONY WILL BE PERMITTED.
OUR PROCEEDINGS ARE RECORDED, SO PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD WHEN ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION.
UM, THEY WILL BE FOR THE LAST MEETING.
THEY'LL BE ADDRESSED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
[1. Zoning File 25-14 – Special Permit – Nay Hookah Cafe: Consider and act on a request for a Special Permit for a smoking establishment on an outdoor patio in conjunction with a restaurant within an existing building on a 0.7-acre lot located at 2100 Alamo Road, on the east side of Alamo Road, north of Campbell Road and currently zoned PD Planned Development for Local Retail LR-M(2). Owner: Keith E. Koop, Bravo Central LLC. Staff: Derica Peters]
ARE GONNA PROCEED WITH STAFF BRIEFING.THIS IS A REQUEST FOR THE PROPERTY AT 2100 ABO ROAD, SPECIFICALLY IN SUITE S, A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT FOR A SMOKE SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT.
THE PROPERTY IS TODAY ZONE PD PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LOCAL RETAIL LLRM TWO DISTRICT.
UH, THAT WAS A PD PLAN DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS APPROVED, UH, THROUGH A REZONING IN 2023 TO ACCOMMODATE A DOGGY DAYCARE AND BOARDING FACILITY.
UM, THAT PD WAS APPROVED ALONG WITH A SPECIAL PERMIT THAT ALLOWED THAT, UH, PROPOSED USE IN THIS SUITE SPACE.
HOWEVER, THAT, UH, THAT APPLICANT MOVED ONTO ANOTHER LOCATION AND THE SITE HAS REMAINED VACANT SINCE.
THE FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATES THIS AREA AS A COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL PLACE TYPE, WHICH DOES CALL FOR RESTAURANTS AS A PRIMARY USE.
HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T ADDRESS SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS.
THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH OF THIS LOT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WITH A BOWLING ALLEY.
THE PROPERTIES TO THE EAST ARE RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS TO THE SOUTH, AND THEN TO THE WEST, UH, ACROSS ALAMO ROAD IS A, UH, OFFICE BUILDING AND A SHOPPING CENTER.
SO THIS SITE WAS PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY A RESTAURANT CALLED PALAOS.
UM, THEY HAVE VACATED AND, UH, SUITE HAS SINCE BEEN VACATED AND SAT EMPTY SINCE THEY VACATED IN AROUND 2022.
EARLIER THIS YEAR IN 2025, THE APPLICANT WITH NA CAFE OCCUPIED THE SPACE WITH THE INTENT OF OPENING A RESTAURANT AND HOOKAH LOUNGE.
SO THEY HAVE MADE SOME SITE MODIFICATIONS.
THIS FIRST PICTURE IS THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS SEEN FROM, UM, LOOKING SOUTH.
THIS IS THE NORTH ELEVATION AND THIS IS WHERE YOU SEE AN OUTDOOR PATIO WHERE THEY PROVIDE, UM, OUTDOOR EATING.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE EATING INDOORS IN THEIR SWEET SPACE.
SO THIS IS THE CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE SITE.
THE SUITE SPACE ITSELF IS AROUND 3000 SQUARE FEET.
THERE'S A PATIO DEDICATED TO THIS SUITE SPACE AND IT'S 1300 SQUARE FEET.
AND STAFF HAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE'S ABOUT SIX CO 650 TO 850 SQUARE FEET OF AREA THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE SMOKING IN THE SMOKING AREA ON THE PATIO.
AND THIS PROPERTY PROVIDES 143 PARKING SPACES IN TOTAL.
HERE'S A ZOOMED IN LOOK AT THAT FLOOR PLAN WHERE YOU SEE THE PATIO, UH, SHADED IN RED.
THE AREAS SHADED IN GRAY INDICATE THE AREAS THAT ARE WITHIN A 10 FOOT RADIUS OF DOORS OR WINDOWS.
SO SMOKING IS PROHIBITED IN THOSE AREAS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SMOKING ORDINANCE
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IN THE CITIES IN THE CITY'S CODE OF ORDINANCES.SO AT MINIMUM, SMOKING WOULD HAVE TO BE PROVIDED, UH, BEYOND THAT 10 FOOT BUFFER.
ANOTHER CONDITION OR A CONDITION OF THE SPECIAL PERMIT THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED IS THAT THAT SMOKING WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE PATIO AND THAT IS COMMON FOR SPECIAL PERMITS FOR THE, UH, SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS AS WELL AS A CONDITION FOR HOURS OF OPERATION, WHICH ARE PROPOSED TO BE 10:00 AM THROUGH 12:00 PM 12:00 AM MIDNIGHT ON MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS AND 10:00 AM THROUGH 2:00 AM FRIDAYS THROUGH SUNDAYS.
SO IN 2011, THE CITY ADOPTED A DEFINITION FOR SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT AND AMENDED THE ZONING CODE TO REQUIRE A SPECIAL PERMIT FOR ANY NEW SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS.
TO OPEN A SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT WAS DEFINED AS A BUSINESS THAT IS, UH, FIRST OR ONE PROVIDING TOBACCO OR SELLING TOBACCO ON SITE.
AND TO THIS, THE TOBACCO IS SMOKED ON SITE SINCE 2011, THESE SIX LEGAL NON-CONFORMING, UH, HOOKAH LOUNGES OR SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS, CIGAR LOUNGES REMAIN OPEN.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, FOUR HA SPECIAL PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR NEW SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS.
TWO OF THOSE SPECIAL PERMITS DID RELATE TO, UH, PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED HOOKAH LOUNGES THAT WERE CONSIDERED LEGAL NONCONFORMING BEFORE THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, BUT THEY WERE RELOCATED AND THUS NEEDED A SPECIAL PERMIT.
THIS IS A MAP OF THE LEGAL NON-CONFORMING HOOKAH LOUNGES, LEGAL NON-CONFORMING HOOKAH LOUNGES WITH RESTAURANT, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY DISTINGUISH WITH THE SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT, UH, SPECIAL PERMIT, BUT IT'S JUST A POINT OF INFORMATION HERE.
AND THEN THE SPECIAL PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
AND IN SUMMARY, IF APPROVED, THE SPECIAL PERMIT WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE APPLICANT ON AMI.
THE SPECIAL PERMIT SHALL EXPIRE AND TERMINATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THE HOURS OF OPERATION WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE HOURS I MENTIONED AND THE PATIO AREA MAY NOT BE ENCLOSED.
THAT'S A CONDITION INCLUDED IN THERE.
THERE'S, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BECAUSE SMOKING IS ONLY ALLOWED OUTDOORS, THAT PATIO AREA CAN NEVER BECOME AN ENCLOSED AREA AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE FOR THIS CASE.
AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AND THE APPLICANT IS HERE TONIGHT AS WELL.
WE ALREADY DID THIS AT WORKING SESSION.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EITHER, SO I GUESS WE CAN HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
CAN YOU, UM, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS? YEAH, MY NAME IS HAYA NAN.
ADDRESS, 3 2 5 BLACKTHORN DRIVE, PLANO, TEXAS.
UH, AHED AMI UH, MY ADDRESS 2 1 0 0 ALAMO ROAD, SUITE S UHON, UH, 27 5 0 2 3.
DO YOU HAVE, ARE, ARE YOU GONNA PRESENT ANYTHING TO US BEYOND WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN TALKED ABOUT WITH STAFF? YES.
NO, WE'RE JUST GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, ON THE PROPOSED SMOKING AREA, I KNOW THAT BY CODE IT CAN'T BE ENCLOSED, BUT ARE YOU PLANNING ANY KIND OF A BARRIER ON THE EAST SIDE? ANY KIND OF A VISUAL BARRIER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO, THERE WILL BE NO BARRIER.
SO I, UM, I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.
ISN'T THAT, UH OH, WHAT IS THAT? UH, RESTAURANT? UM, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE THERE.
SO YOU'D HAVE A LINE OF SIGHT RIGHT TO THE BACK OF CAFE BRAZIL? IT'S LIKE A LITTLE EXIT, BUT THERE IS NO SITE.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT IN THE, UH, VEGETATION RATIOS,
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IF YOU CAN MOVE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN MOVE BACK, BUT YEAH, THERE IT WAS SHOWING LANDSCAPING PROVIDED 4.6 RATHER THAN THE SEVEN THAT'S REQUIRED.WHAT'S THE THINKING THERE ON THE LANDSCAPE? AS OF OUTDOOR? YES.
SO THAT LANDSCAPING, UM, THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WAS APPROVED WITH THE PD BACK IN 2023.
AND SO, UM, THE CITY DID ALREADY AUTHORIZE, UM, THE, THE REDUCTION, THE LOWER PERCENTAGE AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S WAS A PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED SITE PRIOR TO UM, OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, IF YOU CAN GO BACK ONE MORE SLIDE.
HOW DO YOU INTEND, SO WITH THE, UH, REGULATION SHOWING THAT IT'S GOTTA BE OUTSIDE OF 10 FEET FROM EVERY DOOR, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO UM, POLICE THAT MANAGE, THAT KEEP PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE 10 FOOT RADIUS? IT'S UNHAPPY.
SO HE WAS PLANNING ON BUILDING A LITTLE SECTION THAT'S OUTSIDE THAT 10 FEET AWAY FROM PEOPLE AS OF THE CHARCOAL AND EVERYTHING.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE WITHIN, LIKE INSIDE, IT'S GONNA BE WITHIN 10 FEET.
SO LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT KEEPS THE CHARCOAL, THE EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HOOKAH.
YEAH, SO FOR SAFETY REASONS, SO LIKE NO SAFE HANDLING AS OF THE ASHES AND EVERYTHING.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND YOU GUYS CAN THINK OF YOURS IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE.
UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH? I KNOW THERE'S A 200 FOOT REQUIREMENT FROM ZONING, UM, THAT I'M SURE WAS FOLLOWED, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ANY NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH THAT YOU MAY HAVE DONE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEARBY, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY CANYON CREEK, MAYBE THE PALISADES? OH YES, I DID REACH TO CANYON CREEK AND ALL I GOT WAS WHAT TIME? LIKE THAT TIME OF HOURS.
UM, AS IN HOA, RIGHT? THE HOA, YEAH.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, IS UM, IT'S REALLY A BIT ABOUT THE BUSINESS MODEL.
SO YOU'RE OPERATING TODAY, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
SO CLEARLY YOU HAVE STARTED THE BUSINESS, YOU'VE INVESTED THE CAPITAL IN THE BUSINESS, UM, AND IT'S BEEN OPEN FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG, A FEW MONTHS OR A FEW MONTHS.
UM, AND THIS REQUEST, A SPECIAL USE REQUEST REQUEST, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A GIVEN, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO GET IT.
UM, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO THE BUSINESS.
YOU'VE ALREADY OPENED THE BUSINESS.
AND SO I'M, I'M JUST THINKING THROUGH HOW DEPENDENT IS THE BUSINESS ON HAVING HOOKAH AS AN OFFERING IF YOU'VE ALREADY INVESTED AND OPENED THE BUSINESS, NOT KNOWING IF YOU WOULD GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
YEAH, THE HOOK THING IS JUST LIKE AN EXTRA, 'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHENEVER THEY EAT, THEY'LL GO LIKE SMOKE AFTER OR SOMETHING.
LIKE IT WAS ALREADY THE BUSINESS GONNA BE OPEN REGARDLESS OF THE HOOKAH OR NO, IT'S LIKE MAINLY FOOD.
SO YEAH, IT'S NOT DEPENDENT ON THE SPECIAL PERMIT.
UM, ALRIGHT, WELL THAT AINT EVEN ANSWERS THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD.
SO, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM GUYS HERE? UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTS, JUST TO MAYBE CLOSE OUT THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
SO THE RESTAURANT AS IT IS WITHOUT THE HOOKAH IS VIABLE OR MAYBE EVEN GROWING, IS THAT YES.
YEAH, IT WAS MAINLY LIKE A RESTAURANT.
THIS IS JUST LIKE AN AN ADD-ON.
SO PEOPLE MAYBE WILL STAY LONGER DOING SOMETHING ELSE, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALREADY WORKING AS A FOOD, AS A RESTAURANT.
COMMISSIONER COURT? UH, YES, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THIS, I GUESS A COUPLE OF CONCERNS I HAD, UH, SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M PRETTY PRO BUSINESS TOO AND, AND ABOUT BEING FAIR AND, AND, UH, EQUITABLE IN HOW WE DO THINGS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS
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THAT, THAT ARE OPEN THIS LONG.BUT I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE OPERATING HOURS ARE, ARE, UH, ALL THE WAY INTO THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME BAD PRESS AROUND NOT, NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY HOOKAH BARS, BUT, UH, ALCOHOL BASED, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS AND, AND HAVING A LOT OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AT THOSE HOURS OF THE MORNING.
I'M, I'M WONDERING IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THERE? YEAH, THERE WOULD BE NO ALCOHOL SERVED.
YEAH, BUT I'M, I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE OUT AND ABOUT THAT TIME OF THE NIGHT.
UH, SINCE WE DON'T, LIKE WE DON'T HAVE LOUD MUSIC AND STUFF, I DON'T THINK WE WILL ATTRACT THE PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WHICH COME LIKE TO A PARTY, LIKE, LIKE SOME OTHER LUNCHES OR LIKE, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I MEAN, UH, PATRONS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR OWN, UH, TOBACCO PRODUCTS WITH THEM TO UTILIZING THE APPARATUSES, ISN'T THAT CORRECT? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
YEAH, NO, THEN I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, ARE YOUR CURRENT OPERATING HOURS OR ARE YOU OPEN TILL 2:00 AM OR IS THE 2:00 AM UM, EXCLUSIVELY TIED TO THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR ADDING HOOKAH? YEAH, NO, THEY'RE OPEN TILL 2:00 AM.
UM, AND OUTTA CURIOSITY IS, IS THERE MUCH OF A CROWD AND, AND I REALIZE YOU'VE ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT IS THERE MUCH OF A CROWD AT 2:00 AM NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND IN THIS, UH, DIAGRAM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, WE CAN SEE THE, THE PATIO AREA, UM, WHERE THE PROPOSED SMOKING AREA IS, IS INTENDED TO GO AND WE SEE, UH, THE AREA WHERE THERE'S THIS 10 FOOT CLEARANCE WHERE, UM, I GUESS WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY POTENTIALLY TO SERVE PEOPLE THE HOOKAH THERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY TABLES OR HOW MANY PATRONS THAT YOU COULD SERVE IN THE AREA THAT REMAINS, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED WITHIN THE NOT INCLUDED OR LIKE ALL INCLUDED TOGETHER? NOT, NOT INCLUDED.
SO EXCLUDING THE 10 FOOT AREAS THAT WE CAN'T GO INTO.
DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW HOW APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PATRONS OR HOW MANY TABLES YOU COULD SERVE THERE? TWO AND TWO.
SO WITHIN TWO ON THAT 10 FEET AND ONE THE OTHER FEET.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
UM, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, SO I DON'T THINK WE GOT ANY CARDS.
UM, ANYBODY WANTING TO SAY ANYTHING? YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CARD.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE SHE WAS A DRIVER.
UM, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR THEM? OKAY, WELL THEN I THINK WE CAN CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND, GOT A FIRST AND SECOND.
ALRIGHT, THOUGHTS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER ROBERTS? I THINK THAT, UM, MY INCLINATION IS THAT, UH, IN THE ABSENCE AFTER CONTACTING HOA IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESISTANCE AS WELL AS, UM, WITH THE IDEA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CULTURALLY DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK ALSO THAT PROBABLY FITS WITHIN KIND OF ALARM LARGER SCHEME OF WHAT RICHARDSON IS SHOOTING FOR.
UM, MY INCLINATION WOULD BE, UH, FAVORABLE FOR WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
COMMISSIONER BEACH, MY PERSPECTIVE, RICHARDSON IS A VERY, UH, DIVERSE AND MULTICULTURAL CITY.
UH, AND I WOULD SEE NOTHING THAT SHOULD PRECLUDE APPROVAL OF, UH, HAVING THIS KIND OF MULTICULTURALISM IN THIS CITY.
SO, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
MR. KELLER? UM, SO I THINK THIS ONE'S IS, IS IS TOUGH IN SOME RESPECTS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WHEN, UH, IT TOOK THE ACTION TO, UH, MAKE, UH, FACILITIES
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THAT WERE GOING TO SELL TOBACCO AND PROVIDE IT FOR, FOR USE TO THE PATRONS, UH, BACK IN 2011, UH, DID SO WITH A PURPOSE.UM, AND WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, OF THESE FACILITIES IN THE AREA AS WE'VE SEEN, UM, ON THE MAP, SOME OF WHICH ARE, UH, IN VERY CLOSE VICINITY TO THIS PARTICULAR, UH, RESTAURANT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, I THINK THERE, THERE ARE MITIGATING FACTORS HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN IN MY MIND, THAN SOME OTHER APPLICATIONS, UH, THAT WE'VE SEEN FOR, UH, SIMILAR, UH, SPECIAL USE REQUESTS ON THIS, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, SPECIAL USE.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A RELATIVELY, UH, SMALL ESTABLISHMENT IN THE AREA THAT IS BEING PROPOSED SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, THE SMOKING IS, IS RELATIVELY SMALL.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, IS A MITIGATING FACTOR IN MY MIND.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FORESEE THIS BEING A SITUATION IN WHICH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, A LARGE NUMBER OF, OF PEOPLE, UM, VISITING THIS PARTICULAR RESTAURANT FOR THAT PARTICULAR USE.
UM, I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, THE RESTAURANT OWNERS HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS AND HAVE, UM, UP UNTIL THIS POINT SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED SOLELY AS A RESTAURANT.
AND, UH, AND THIS DOES KIND OF SEEM LIKE A, A SECONDARY USE.
UM, AND SO I THINK BASED ON, UH, THOSE FACTORS, I THINK I WOULD BE INCLINED TO, TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
ANYTHING ZACH, MR. COURT? UH, I'LL DECIDE.
I MEAN, BASED ON MY QUESTION, I THINK THE ONLY CONCERN I HAD WAS ABOUT THE OPERATING HOURS, BUT, UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SO FAR.
AND, UH, I MEAN, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF THESE SPECIAL PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED ALREADY, UH, I I, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING HERE IN THIS, THIS REQUEST THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD CAUSE ME CONCERN TO, UH, TO, UH, TO VOTE AGAINST THIS.
UM, SO HERE'S SORT OF MY THOUGHTS.
UM, ALSO A PRO BUSINESS PERSON, UM, AND I LIVE IN CANYON CREEK AND I'M ON THE HOA BOARD.
UM, AND MY, MY INCLINATION IS, IS THAT THE, THE HOA, UM, WAS NO DOUBT CONTACTED BY YOU.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT THE FINAL STEP IN THE PROCESS, SO, UM, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS IN FACT TRUE.
NOT THAT I SAY YOU'RE LYING, I'M JUST SAYING JUST MAKE SURE, UM, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FIRED UP.
UM, AND SO, UM, WHENEVER I WAS ASKING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT SORT OF THE, THE USAGE CASE AND THE BUSINESS ALREADY STARTED, YOU COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT WOULD SAY, WELL, UM, THEN IT DOESN'T NEED, THEN IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
BUT I THINK AFTER HEARING THE COMMISSIONERS TALK ABOUT THIS, IT'S LIKE, NO, THIS RESTAURANT, UH, IS A VIABLE PLACE AND THIS IS A SECONDARY USE CASE AND THE VIABILITY OF THIS BUSINESS, UH, THE RESTAURANT PART OF THIS BUSINESS IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THE HOOKAH.
UM, AND IT'S FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD GIVEN WHERE IT'S LOCATED.
UM, THAT I JUST DON'T SEE THAT BEING A BIG CONCERN.
I ALSO DON'T SEE THIS BEING, UM, A, WITH THE TWO OR FOUR TABLES, UM, LIMITATION OF THE OVERALL SQUARE FOOTAGE.
THIS IS CLEARLY NOT DESIGNED TO BE A, A HOOKAH LOUNGE THAT ALSO MIGHT SERVE FOOD.
IT'S REALLY THE OPPOSITE OF THAT.
UM, AND, AND THE FACT THAT THE AREA ITSELF HAS AN ECLECTIC FEEL.
MY KIDS SHOP AT, AT CHEAPSKATE ALL THE TIME.
I EAT AT CAFE BRAZIL ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND, AND I'VE BOWLED THERE MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT.
SO THAT LITTLE AREA THERE IS, IT'S JUST A REAL COOL ECLECTIC LITTLE AREA THAT I, THAT I AM HAPPY TO SEE.
UM, NEW PATRONS AND NEW TENANTS, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING INVESTMENT IN, UM, IT'S WHAT WE NEED.
THERE'S, I THINK A, A FEAR OF HOOKAH, UM, THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT MAY BE EARNED BASED ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, BUT I THINK IT PROBABLY IS, UH, CULTURAL FEAR MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
IF I HAD TO GUESS, UH, I THINK THERE'S A FEAR THAT MAYBE THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS ADDRESSING IN THE SPECIAL SESSION RELATED TO THC, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL BE ADDRESSED IN A BIG WAY.
[00:25:01]
BE.UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER, I THINK THINGS THAT GETS THROWN INTO THIS MIX IS THE WHAT IS IN THE TOBACCO, UM, THAT'S BEING SERVED THERE.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THESE FEARS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS I AMOUNT OR THIS USAGE CASE WARRANTS ANY BIG FEAR ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST SORT OF THOSE STIGMAS THAT IT'S JUST ALWAYS GONNA HAVE.
UM, THE WORD HOOKAH IS A CULT CULTURAL WORD AND THAT SCARES PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT, UM, THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THAT CULTURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M INCLINED TO, TO BE IN FAVOR AS WELL.
SO, UM, I GUESS THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.
SO I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION WITH THAT VICE CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, WE GO BACK TO THAT, THE SLIDE THAT HAS IT.
UH, FOR ZF 25 14, UM, SPECIAL PERMIT.
I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THAT REQUEST FOR SPECIAL PERMIT AS WRITTEN.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE FIRST, SECOND, COMMISSIONER BEACH SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, UNANIMOUS.
SO WE WILL CALL THIS GOOD AT SEVEN TWENTY SIX.