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Johnny’s to reopen soon; neighbors concerned

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Susan Dickson

Pablo Valencia (left) and Drew Pilant (on drums), the Pablo and Drew Latin Duo, perform for crowds at a fundraiser at Johnny’s earlier this year. Photo by Tod Andrews
By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Nearly six months after Johnny’s closed, one of the property owners and two partners are hoping to reopen it, but neighbors are concerned about what form the local store and gathering place might take.

Johnny’s closed on June 23 after owners Brian Plaster and Jan Halle parted ways. Plaster said at the time that he closed the business because he ran into issues with noise and parking as Johnny’s became a popular gathering spot, but Halle said she hoped to reopen it without Plaster.

She has since partnered with locals Erica Eisdorfer and Kevin Morgan, and the three hope to reopen Johnny’s by Christmas, Eisdorfer said. In a conversation earlier this fall, Halle said she hoped to be able to continue to sell beer and wine for on-site consumption, but that town staff had told her she would need to seek a rezoning in order to do so.

Tonight (Thursday), Halle, Eisdorfer and Morgan will go before Carrboro’s advisory boards for a preliminaryreview of their application, which has not yet been officially submitted to the town.

According to town planning director Trish McGuire, the property is actually zoned residential, but Johnny’s had been permitted to continuing operating there. The Johnny’s that occupied the space for many years – a bait and tackle shop – was at one time in line with the zoning for the property, but the zoning changed to residential a number of years ago.

Because the business predated the zoning change, it was allowed to continue operating with previously approved uses – which don’t include on-site alcohol consumption – under provisions of the zoning ordinance. However, the ABC license that Plaster received in order to serve beer and wine on site was not reviewed by the town’s zoning staff before it was approved, McGuire said.

“It was an inadvertent approval of on-site sales,” she said.

According to McGuire, the town had received multiple comments from concerned residents regarding Johnny’s. Last week, Tina Saldana, a resident of Westview Drive, which runs alongside Johnny’s, presented a letter from 75 residents to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen opposing on-site alcohol sales at the store, citing public-safety concerns.

“The large crowds that came to the location to consume alcohol were a serious public safety hazard in an area of town that was not designed for such a site,” the letter states. The letter also cites the town’s negligence in signing off on the ABC license that did not conform to the zoning.

“We feel the town has neglected our rights to be protected and served by its public officials and urge current parties to act in accordance with their public responsibilities by directing the owners to seek a different property if they wish to continue in a business that involves the consumption of alcohol on its premises,” the letter continues.

Saldana said Johnny’s patrons sometimes brought 50 to 60 cars parked along Westview Drive.

She added that she and her family were supportive of the store initially, buying small grocery items and Christmas trees there, but that over time the store carried fewer grocery items and more beer and wine. Crowds grew, and parking and noise became a problem, Saldana continued.

Eisdorfer said she and her partners hope to offer more grocery items when Johnny’s reopens, like local produce, meats and cheeses, as well as beer and wine.

“We don’t feel like the place can survive without on-site consumption of alcohol,” she said. “It’s a delicate balance.”

Eisdorfer said they’ve gotten a lot of support from members of the community who would like to see Johnny’s reopened.

“For us, it’s a labor of love,” she added. “What we want to do is what the community wants, and it’s hard to know who wants what more.”

1 thought on “Johnny’s to reopen soon; neighbors concerned”

  1. Trevor Morgan says:
    December 3, 2011 at 1:51 am

    I had thought the US constitution was better than ours here in England. We have problems with any development as small town political Mr Bigs seek cheap votes and campaign against any initiatives and make silly claims about “safety” just to stamp on anything they do not control or own.
    Their motto seems to be “Control or Destroy”

    When Iwas serving on a city council I observed these antics at first hand over multiple issues and applications and detected a common sort of theme to objections to any who sought to create. This inspired me to a series of verses to a fictional place called Spitefield.

    The verse relevant to my comments here is as follows:-

    “CONTROL OR DESTROY !”

    In souls of those here
    Who have never known joy
    The motive is clear
    It’s – “CONTROL OR DESTROY !”
    And as for the few
    Who may get in their way
    Their spite will be true
    For opponents – “…must pay !”
    They’ll pay out in blood
    Or carry false blame
    Or be trod in the mud
    Or lose a good name
    They’ll pay out in hurt
    As they’re trapped by a lie
    They’ll be treated like dirt
    And some – “…have to die !”
    And yet for those few
    Who CONTROL OR DESTROY
    One sure thing is true
    They’ll never know Joy !

    © T Morgan 31.1.2003

    From afar I support this application.

    Sincerely yours

    Trevor Morgan
    (Yes I am related to an applicant but I have no financial interest in this proposal)

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