laceywootton

I'm writing to address the "other side" of this argument. The Garden Cafe was started by my dad, Dale Wootton, over 8 years ago and has become a part of the family. I helped open the cafe and the poetry parties we held were an extension of family poetry parties held at our house every year since my Dad found a collection of my poems at age 11. The poetry party wasn't a marketing idea, it was a family tradition; and now the cafe has become the same.

I credit my father for doing a wonderful thing--taking a run down building and transforming it into a beautiful family-friendly restaurant which serves to better the community in a number of ways. We have a huge garden out back and serve fresh, local food. We also host numerous fundraisers and charity events (many of which require beer and wine to be served to help attendance).

And to address the above comment-Yes, the restaurant is across the street from a playground--one in which my father planted trees to help better the community. Also, the cafe is one of the most family friendly establishments in the area, which is another reason why it is so great to have it located right across the street from a playground.

The request is simply asking to sell beer and wine with all the restrictions proposed which prevents it from ever turning into a bar. I realize I am passionate about this issue because it is my family restaurant but I also try to look at the other side and if I were a neighbor I would fully support the cafe with the restrictions, of course. It's a reasonable compromise, and a perfect solution to protect a special Dallas gem.