The Fayette Citizen-News Page
Wednesday, January 6, 1999
Waffle House gets its 32 parking spaces

By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

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A proposed Waffle House restaurant on Ga. Highway 85 south is back on the front burner in Fayetteville thanks to the City Council.

Council Monday approved a variance to allow 32 parking spaces for the restaurant, something that's not normally allowed. Ordinances call for no more than 20 parking spaces for a 40-seat restaurant.

Mayor Mike Wheat broke a tie vote in favor of the variance after Waffle House spokesman Callum Parrott told council the extra parking is crucial to the restaurant.

Councilman Walt White asked Parrott whether the restaurant could compromise and live with fewer parking spaces, but Parrott said the requested 32 spaces already represents a compromise. "We settled on 32 because that was what we could do," he said. The company had originally wanted 40 spaces, he added.

In earlier meetings with the city Planning Commission, Parrott said Waffle House is different from most restaurants, in that most of its customers arrive alone. At peak times, even 40 spaces are stretched thin with diners filling the restaurant and waiting for seats, he said.

Ed Miller, a city resident attending Monday's council meeting, backed Parrott up on that. He stopped by the Waffle House on Ga. Highway 54 east on New Year's Eve, Miller said. "There were two spaces left. The place was full and was packed with people standing in line," he said. That restaurant has 40 spaces.

Councilmen Glenn Brewer and Larry Dell voted in favor of the variance; Al Hovey-King and Walt White voted "no."

In other action, the council:

Agreed to allow Fayetteville Towne Center, the new Kroger shopping center on Hwy. 85 south, to build a sign 40 inches higher than ordinances allow, because the sign will be on land below the road.

Approved a beer and wine license for the new manager of Publix supermarket in Fayette Pavilion.

Appointed Councilman Kenneth Steele mayor pro tempore.

Approved the following appointments: Municipal Court judge, Sharon Pierce; judge pro tempore of Municipal Court, Eric Maxwell; city prosecutor, Warren Sellars; assistant prosecutor, David Winkle; city attorney, David Winkle; city auditor, Brown and Nelms.

Reappointed three members to the Planning Commission: Bill Talley, Myron Coxe and Gary Jensen.

Appointed Robert Sprayberry to a temporary vacancy on the Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors. Carolyn Hurst resigned the post, which comes up for reappointment in February.

Amended the city budget, adding $34,500 to account for higher than expected revenues.

Conducted first reading of a series of rezoning and annexation requests. Council will act on the rezoning applications at its next meeting, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. A work session to prepare for that meeting will be Jan. 13, also at 7 p.m.


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