Sparks may fly at Old Mill Steakhouse rezoning

Tue, 11/11/2008 - 4:40pm
By: John Munford

The owner of the former Old Mill Steakhouse restaurant is seeking a rezoning to lift conditions on use of the property and also to rezone an adjacent residential parcel to the same commercial zoning.

The zoning request for the adjacent parcel has caused a stir because it’s at the entrance to the Crystal Lake Estates subdivision and can only be used for a single-family home, according to current zoning requirements.

The Fayette County Commission is expected to vote on the rezoning requests Thursday night at its regular meeting which begins at 7 p.m.

Two weeks ago the commission heard from a number of residents who live in Crystal Lake Estates, several of whom said the entire subdivision is united in opposing the rezoning for the lot in their subdivision.

The county’s planning commission has recommended approval of the rezoning for the restaurant but with a condition that the lot in Crystal Lake Estates remain used only for a single family home.

In 1987 the restaurant property was rezoned to allow the old mill to be converted into a restaurant and special retail shops categorized as arts and/or crafts.

The rezoning application seeks to remove the restrictions on the current “Community Commercial” zoning placed on the restaurant. Among the uses allowed in that zoning category are retail sales and a wide variety of other commercial uses.

The planning commission’s vote included a recommended condition that would forbid certain uses on the site including appliance sales and repair, auto parts/tire store, adult day care, child day care, gas station/convenience store, laundromat and auto service station among others.

Commissioners Douglas Powell and Jim Graw voted against the rezoning petition.

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