Friday, August 29, 2008

Cedar Hill’s Campuzano’s to get its drink on

By Steve Snyder of TODAY Newspapers

Three public hearings, two of them restaurant-related, were on the Cedar Hill City Council's agenda Aug. 12.

Before the first public hearing, though, the council considered whether or not to grant a variance to Campuzano's Restaurant, on the 300-foot requirement in city code separating restaurants selling alcoholic beverages from churches.

Measured from front door to front door, the restaurant, at 213 W. Belt Line Road, is just 240 feet away from Church of God Southwest, next door to it on the west. The church filed a letter opposing the variance.

The restaurant has been serving alcoholic beverages, but not charging for them, and allowing patrons to bring their own as well.

Part of the church's complaint was allegations of beer bottle litter from people bringing their own beer. June Allen from the church said church members had found an average of 10-15 bottles a week on their property.

At the level of the Planning and Zoning Commission, the variance got a 3-2 approval with one abstention and one commissioner absent.

“If they're serving alcohol, it's a control measure, and probably a better situation than they're in right now,” Councilman Daniel Haydin said.

Other councilmen generally reflected Haydin's stance, with the exception of Makia Epie.

Councilman Cliff Shaw compared Campuzano's situation favorably to that of Trio's Restaurant on Cooper Street, which has faced noise and parking complaints.

“Unlike the incident on Cooper Street, Campuzano's has been here several years without complaint,” Shaw said.

The council then granted the variance on a 6-1 vote, with Epie opposed.

In public hearing on the conditional use permit, Pastor Dennis Easton and Jerry Allen of the church spoke against it, and more against the variance the council had already granted.

He claimed he thought this would lead the council to reduce the 300-foot requirement to as little as 50 feet.

Councilman Epie said he thought Campuzano's owner Pamela Kincaid, by limiting free alcoholic beverages to two per customer, had more control over alcoholic beverages than they would with a conditional use permit for sales.

But, Shaw countered that Campuzano's staff had no control over people bringing their own bottles.

The council then asked several questions of Kincaid, indicating its sensitivity to concerns of church members.

The council then approved the permit, with a restriction on outside sales. The vote on that was also 6-1.

The second public hearing was for a conditional use permit for White Rhino Coffee House to open a drive-through restaurant.

The coffee house is at 230 W. Belt Line Road, just west of the Zula B. Wylie Library, and Library Director Pat Bonds said she supports the idea.

“It's not a drive-through, it's a drive-up,” owner Chris Parvin said. He added that the expansion project would include some outdoor seating.

Parvin later said he would be expanding the food menu at some future date. He said he was looking at bringing on offsite-prepared items such as paninis.

In its third public hearing, the council granted a one-year extension for receiving a development plan for the Stonehill Estates planned development, located at the northwest corner of Cockrell Hill and Bear Creek roads. One year ago, the council extended the plan until Sept. 25, 2008.

This year, they added another year to that extension. The city approved the concept plan for the site in 2003.

Developer William Parsons cited the state of the current residential real estate market as the reason for the delay request.

In other items, the city:

-- Approved a $23,100 contract for architectural and engineering services for a 1,700-square-foot expansion of the Public Works Service Center;

-- Authorized a $20,700 contract for designing the construction of a dedicated right-turn lane on FM 1382 eastbound from South Clark Road to U.S. 67;

-- Granted a $22,000 contract with Kimley-Horn and Asso-ciates for surveying and other tasks related to expanding Pleasant Run Road to four lanes from U.S. 67 to North Joe Wilson Road.

-- Memorialized the Texas Legislature to stop diverting state highway funds to non-highway projects.

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