Friday, December 5, 2003

Council nixes special events center

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

Steven Kopelman and Donald Rakestraw's plans to turn their home at 511 Toombs Street into a special events center were withdrawn Monday night before the Palmetto City Council's regular monthly meeting. Although they had the consent of their neighbors for the rezoning from R-2 residential to C-2 Highway Commercial, parking problems proved to be their undoing.

An agreement had been established with the neighboring Palmetto Baptist Church to share use of their parking lot when it was vacant. Even so, this did not seem feasible to the Zoning Board who recommended denial of the project.

The home, built in 1885 was to be used for wedding receptions, showers, family gatherings and other upscale special events. Kopelman and Rakestraw ran a bed and breakfast in the home for several years but decided to put more energy into their regular jobs and closed it to the public. The house is currently up for sale. The two homeowners have plans to build a "new old house" on acreage along Hutchenson Ferry Road, Kopelman said. For now, the two are regrouping and keeping their options open.