A large group of Senoia residents at a public forum last year said they wanted to see another restaurant in the city that would serve breakfast. Enter the Fried Green Tomatoes Cafe. The Senoia City Council Monday unanimously approved a variance request for the restaurant destined for Main Street across from the post office.

The variance request pertained to the rear buffer on the property’s east side that would allow for additional parking in that area and a decrease in the number of parking spaces from 54 to 38.

The .75-acre property along Main Street is bordered by a residence on the east, Prestige Hair Salon to the south and Central of Georgia Railroad on the north.

Addressing the relocation of the building by 12 feet toward Main Street on the site plan, city manager Richard Ferry said it would be better to have it in the front setback than in the rear buffer.

As for the decrease in the number of parking spaces from 54 to 38, project representative Scott Tigchelaar said the six parallel parking spaces requested on the east side of the property would be positioned adjacent to a 20-foot screened, vegetative buffer rather than a hard fence.

And responding to questions relating to the overall decrease in parking spaces and the potential for overflow parking problems, Tigchelaar said he would post a sign on the adjacent Prestige Hair Salon site notifying restaurant customers that those spaces are reserved for the salon.

Also at the meeting, council members approved a $1,200 agreement with Historic Development Ventures to lease a space for temporary parking for the visitors expected to visit the Southern Living Idea House on the Gin Property development beginning in June. The space off Seavy Street will accommodate up to 28 vehicles. The city will spend approximately $7,000 to have the area conditioned as a parking lot.

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