The Florissant City Council Holds Three Public Hearings

Council Hears Plans For Wine Bar, Domino’s,

and John B. Meyers House Historic Dist.

By Carol Arnett

The Florissant City Council held three public hearings including one on a new wine bar and another on a new historic district. The Council also passed several bills at the Feb. 26th council meeting.

The first public hearing was about a request by Sipp to allow for the operation of a wine bar at 1833 Dunn Road at the former Rizzo’s restaurant location. Tiffany Whitehorn represented the wine bar at the hearing.

“It will be just a local wine bar with live music, pre-packaged food like cheese and crackers and fresh fruit,” Whitehorn said. The live music would be mostly on weekends, she said, and would end at 10 p.m.

Council President Jackie Pagano asked about the music. There are apartments close by, she said, so she wanted to be sure the doors would be closed.

Councilman Jeff Caputa asked about hours. Whitehorn said she would close at midnight on weekends and 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Councilman Joseph Eagan asked if they would serve drinks in glass or plastic. Whitehorn said they would serve in glass. “We’re trying to be a high-class place and to me, that means glass.” Eagan said he wanted to make sure there were not plastic cups littering the parking lot and there were no to-to sales.

Councilman Ben Parsons asked about capacity. Whitehorn said the bar would hold 65 people at full capacity.

Caputa asked City Attorney for clarification on the ‘wine bar’ designation. Hessel explained that there were different liquor licenses, some of which allow only wine and beer, and some for liquor also. He said Whitehorn would be limited by the type of liquor license she received, but he said city code did not explicitly define a wine bar.

   The second public hearing was about a request for a special use permit to Domino’s Pizza for the operation of a carry-out restaurant with a pick-up window for the property at 8428 N. Lindbergh. This is next door to the current Domino’s on Lindbergh.

Mark   Ratterman is the franchisee for the location. He said that he had been looking for a new location for several years. “The location next door became available,” he said. He wants to purchase the building and remodel it for a new Domino’s with a drive-up pick-up window. “This is really popular with moms and dads with kids in car seats,” he said. “They can order and then pick up without leaving their car.”

Eagan said that Ratterman was correct in that the building in question needs to be addressed and remodeled. “That is a building that has stood vacant and has needed renovation and updating for quite some time,” he said     The new location will allow the restaurant to increase from 1200 square feet to 1600 square feet and add the pick-up window. Ratterman said he is not anticipating more than a few hours or one day between the old store closing the new one opening.

History District For Meyers House

The third public hearing was about a request to rezone the property at 180 Dunn Road to establish a new Historic District. This is the John B. Meyers House. Terry Turner said he bought the house as a residence and discovered it needed a different zoning .

He told the council that the house was in good shape with newer electric and HVAC. He has re-done the porch and is working on the interior. He lives on the top floor, and has let the weaving shop remain on the first floor. The barn, he said, has no water, and he has not done much to it. The barn had been the location of the Barn Deli

The council held first readings on bills that would approve the public hearing items.

     In other action, the council:

  • Postponed a bill that would approve the Sitemen Cancer Center building at Christian Northwest. Siteman requested the postponement until March 12 meeting.
  • Passed a bill allowing Target to remodel the Lindbergh location.
  • Passed a bill allowing the construction of Chick Fil A at Flower Valley Shopping Center The council first amended the bill to change the size of the sign at the site.
  • Approved a full liquor by the drink license for Al’s Lounge at 2731 N. Hwy 67.
  • Approved a request by John Reece to keep four chickens on Blanchette.
  • Approved a bill accepting a grant to improve the entrance to St. Ferdinand Park.
  • Approved a bill appropriating funds

for the replacement of St. Anthony Bridge over Fountain Creek. This is aloo partially funded by a grant and is the last bridge in the city to need replacement.

Leave a Reply