Gabrielle part II

Here's something from the Audubon Riverside Neighborhood Association regarding the proposed Gabrielle restaurant at 438 Henry Clay.  For more background info, read Brett Anderson's original story, Ernie Svensen's take, Chris Rose's attack on Shelley Midura, and my "this is more sinister than you may have thought" post.

My comments are in red.

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Dear Neighbors:

Many of you have asked about the status of the proposed restaurant at the location of the former Uptowner at 438 Henry Clay Avenue.  As you may have read in the Times-Picayune ("Food Fight" by Brett Anderson, Living, Jan. 17), the proprietors of Gabrielle Restaurant (Greg and Mary Sonnier), who bought the property, have been trying to decipher what the current zoning and occupational permit allows them to do.  Additionally, a group of residents living nearby the property have raised concerns about the intended use of the property, including whether the property is eligible to retain its non-conforming use as a reception hall.

Trying to decipher?  More like "trying to figure out what the hell to do since Batt didn't get re-elected".  Of course it isn't eligible to retain any variance, as Ernie's post makes clear.

ARNA has not taken a position on this issue because, as many of you may have gathered from the T-P article, the law is confusing and the facts are not clear.  The ARNA Board has waited to take a position until it had a firm grasp on the facts (and the law), as well as the desires of both sides in the dispute; by doing so, the ARNA planning and zoning committee has been able to craft what I believe is a reasonable compromise and a win-win for the entire neighborhood.  Consequently, the ARNA planning and zoning committee is prepared to recommend at the next board meeting that ARNA fully support the opening of Gabrielle in our neighborhood, provided an agreement is finalized with the property owners, which is expected. 

I don't have any problems with this.  See, I don't have a dog in this fight, other than offense at Rose slamming Midura without doing any fact checking whatsoever.  It would be great to have another restaurant around there, especially one run by a James Beard nominated chef.

My problem has been how Sonnier has tried to go about doing this.

If it's OK with the ARNA, then it should be OK with just about everybody, except maybe Eddie Sapir.

ARNA will hold a public hearing next Monday, February 5, at the Sabis School cafeteria (Patton at State Street) at 7 p.m., to answer any questions or remaining concerns neighbors may have about Gabrielle Restaurant and our proposed compromise. 

Below, I explain how we have arrived at this position and summarize the proposed compromise.

The ARNA planning and zoning committee has been researching the facts as to what the zoning laws and occupational licenses issued to the owners of 438 Henry Clay allow, and what is required by the city in this process.  It has been difficult to coordinate schedules and meet with all relevant parties, but the committee was able to complete its fact finding process early last week.

Mr. Sonnier first met with the ARNA Board in November,

NOVEMBER?  Well, look at the date of this story in the Gambit!  April 7!  Sonnier knew exactly what he was going to try to ramrod through way, way, way before he met with anybody but Batt.

and at that time the Board was unclear about the allowable uses under the current zoning and how Mr. Sonnier intended utilize the property, so Mr. Sonnier agreed to meet with members of the ARNA Planning and Zoning committee to follow up on several issues. Following that Board meeting, I spoke with Councilmember Shelley Midura and told her that ARNA desired to take the lead in trying to work out a compromise that would be acceptable to the Sonniers and the nearby residents.  She graciously agreed to let ARNA take the lead, and to let her know if she needed to be involved to bring the parties to the table. 

Wouldn't it have been nice if Chris Rose would have found out about this before he did the hatchet job on Midura?

After the November Board meeting, Mike Sherman, a nearby resident, filed an appeal with the BZA to challenge the validity of the business retaining its previous non-conforming use.  The BZA hearing was deferred as the issue went to Civil District Court.  Regardless, the planning and zoning committee continued its efforts throughout December to set up meetings with Mr. Sonnier and with the neighbors opposing a restaurant at this location, to reach an understanding of both points of view.  During this time, the committee conducted additional research, which included checking with the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association as to whether it had ever had complaints or experienced difficulty with the operations of Gabrielle; they had none, and indeed told us the Sonniers were excellent neighbors and generous contributors to neighborhood events. 

The committee was finally able to meet with both parties again last week.  Specifically, Mr. Sonnier was asked to explain to us his intended use of the property.  While he was willing to operate the property weekly as a reception hall so that he could "pay the bills," Mr. Sonnier told us that his original and ultimate desire is to open a restaurant and operate it in the same way he did when Gabrielle was located on Esplanade:  5 nights a week, open between 5-12 (last seating 10 p.m.), with lunch on Friday.  He said he planned to have a restaurant that would serve up to 85 people at a sitting, and have a "holding bar" in the back of the patio (inside) for use by patrons waiting to be seated.  He said he planned to seat people outside on the patio only during those 6-8 weeks a year that the weather would permit. 

I call bullshit.  "A holding bar"?  This ain't what he said back in April. "We're gaining a nice bar, which the old restaurant didn't have," Sonnier said.  "And one of the draws will be a huge courtyard, sort of French-Quarter like".

This "holding bar" will be holding as many people as can fit in there for as long as they can fit in there.  He wants it to be a bar.  Compare what he said in the Gambit to what he said to ARNA.

The patio will only seat patrons during  "those 6-8 weeks a year that the weather would permit"?  Uh, do we live in Chicago?  No.  There's no tundra to shovel away.  The patio will be used for seating at least 6 months out of the year, probably more.  Believe it.

As a way to resolve the concerns of all parties, we suggested that the Sonniers apply to the City Planning Commission for a zoning change, whereby the city would approve a conditional business use for this property within an area that was otherwise zoned residential.  In exchange, the Sonniers would agree to place certain restrictions on the property and the operation of the business that would assuage the concerns of nearby residents, and ensure that the restrictions would apply to every subsequent owner of the property.  After negotiations between ARNA and the Sonniers (and their attorney), the Sonniers made several concessions and agreed to adopt significant restrictions on their use of the property and operation of the restaurant as a condition for ARNA's support of the zoning change. 

These restrictions include:

• Valet parking service provided after 5 p.m. (it is intended that all tables will be charged a fee for valet whether they use the service or not, creating an incentive to use it)

Bonne chance parking in front of your house on a Friday afternoon, people.  The valet should be open whenever the restaurant is.

• The restaurant may not seat more than 80 people at once

I wonder if this includes the patio...which will be open year round, although it may be too damned cold to eat there sometimes.

• A video security system placed around the perimeters of the property, with tapes made available to the public should any incidents be recorded
• The ABO permit will only permit alcohol to be served in connection with table service or to patrons waiting to be seated, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (except for New Year's Eve)

Tell me you don't believe this.  How are they going to enforce the "patrons waiting to be seated" clause?  They aren't.  Congrats, Henry Clay residents, you're getting a new bar.

• Restaurant hours limited to between 11 a.m. and 12 midnight (except for New Year's Eve)

So much for the 5 day a week, lunch on Friday thing.

• No other commercial use of the property other than as a restaurant
• The number of residential units on the property will not be expanded
• No "to go" cups

I don't see this being enforced, either.

• No video poker or other commercial gaming devices on the premises
• No live music outside after sunset (and no amplified music outside at any time)
• Adherence to a litter abatement plan
• Private trash collection no earlier than 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends

The proposed restrictive covenants will allow ARNA to take legal action against Gabrielle if these restrictions are violated, and recover attorneys' fees if ARNA prevails.

Great...more attorneys getting rich.  We need that.  That, and highly paid mayoral staff.

All in all, we think this is a reasonable compromise that will preserve the balance between residences and upscale restaurants that already exists in our neighborhood.  We earnestly believe that these restrictions address most if not all of the concerns raised by nearby residents and Mr. Sherman before the ARNA Board in December and January and at a meeting with the ARNA planning and zoning committee in January.  Moreover, we believe this compromise reflects one of the central purposes of ARNA as reflected in the Bylaws:

To facilitate good relations between commercial interests and residents through communication and mutual understanding of land use and zoning possibilities; to encourage and support locally owned small business which provide basic services to the neighborhood as well as small boutiques, antique shops and restaurants that offer fine shopping and dining opportunities.

Consequently, the ARNA planning and zoning committee is prepared to recommend that the Board approve ARNA entering into this agreement with the Sonniers, and support the zoning change to allow Gabrielle to open in our neighborhood with the restrictions noted above.  If the Board does so, I will then notify Shelley Midura and ask her to move this process forward as quickly as possible. 

Please attend the public hearing on February 5 at the Sabis School cafeteria (Patton at State Street) at 7 p.m., to voice any questions or remaining concerns you may have about Gabrielle and our proposed agreement.  Again, it is our hope and desire that all of you will agree that this compromise is more than reasonable and give it your full support. 

Thank you.

OK, public.  The ball's in your court.  Show up if you don't like the "compromise", or, if you believe like I do, that a lot of the wording in the "compromise" is unenforceable.

The thing that stinks here is that Sonnier knew he wasn't buying property zoned for a restaurant, but he thought he could backdoor it. 

That leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, which ain't a good thing for a chef to do.

Comments

[HammHawk]

I'm always so ambivalent about these things, and that's one reason I quit our neighborhood assoaciation board. In principle, everyone wants a good restaurant and to foster good chefs, but there is a pattern of buying the property and then complaining about the zoning. I think the city tends to be sympathetic: "Aw, they've already invested so much...." I think a big problem that needs to be addressed is that zoning stays with the property. Hypothetically, the residents may like Sonnier and want the place, but if it goes under, all those waivers they approved stay with it, so Joe Schmo now has the liquor license, etc. I guess that helps a little to prevent some kind of classist favoritism, but neighbors would be more amenable if they thought they'd still have some control after one owner flies the coop.

[Aaron]

As an official member of the Peanut Gallery, Sonnier made a bad decision by investing so heavily in a location which wasn't correctly zoned and relying upon a political favor which may or may not have manifested itself (whoops, Batt), BUT I think that everyone that is on him right now, with the possible exclusion of the directly next-door neighbors, are rooting against him primarily because of his hubris and not because they think the underlying restaurant is a bad idea. Restaurants are good, neighborhood restaurants are better.

All that said, as a regular of Lola's and Cafe Degas on Esplanade, I REALLY don't understand the decision to move Gabrielle's in the first place. The neighborhood immediately bounced back, and it's an hour plus wait for a table at Lola's every weekend WHICH IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET (read 25 FEET) from Gabrielle's old location. Between the hubris and poisonous behavior towards his last neighborhood, I think he's going to get shot down.

[Schroeder]

Chris Rose check facts? Does he even have "tubes"? I doubt it. He's so involved in himself, I think he scarcely notices anything else -- which would be okay if he weren't writing political commentary.

[Sara]

Please excuse me if I get a bit cofrloul butFuck these sackless ass-clowns. Fuck them in their big goofy dumb floppy vagina ears and spit down there cock slobbering throats.Im a Philly guy who has to live in NY for work and rarely get to see the Phils much to begin with. I decided to split a Sunday season ticket package with my buddy and was unbelievably excited to get to go to my FIRST playoff gameat 30. Unfortunately, I have NO way to get out of work on Wed, because I would need to take a whole fucking day off to see the game, so now, thanks to that shriveled, useless, cock mongering bud selig feeling the need to fellate the NY/Bos/LA shitwound market, I have to give up my one ticket to the playoffs.Maybe if they make it to the next round, but there is never a guarantee. Fuck that asshat, fuckhim with a broken bottle in that big gaping wound of an ass.Phew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.