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Florissant City Council: Public Hearings Held on Coffee House, Pizza Place
BY CAROL ARNETT
Coffee and pizza were on the menu at the Florissant City Council meeting Monday night as the council held public hearings for new coffee house and a Little Caesar’s Pizza.
In the first hearing, Lamont and Michelle Orange presented their plans for STL Java and Café. The coffee house would be located in The Shoppes at Koch Park, near the new Shop N Save that recently opened.
The shop would offer sandwiches, salads, soups and smoothies, in addition to coffee and specialty teas. The shop would be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Oranges are planning to offer wireless internet access.
Councilman John Moran said his only concern is deliveries because the shopping center backs up to a residential area. Michelle Orange said that the shopping center requires deliveries be made at the back of the building, but all their deliveries were scheduled 1-4 p.m.
In the second hearing, Dale and Jennifer Beck presented their plans to open a Little Caesar’s pizza restaurant in the Family Video center at 340 Howdershell Road. Their restaurant would be between Family Video and Steak Out. It would be carry-out only.
Councilman Tom Schneider asked about the venting for the ovens and grill. Dale Beck said that he had retained an architecture firm that designed vents that were approved by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Schneider said the building was designed for medical offices, and this creates a problem when food service operations want to move in. Schneider said he was not happy that medical offices have not gone into the development.
“I’m in favor of your proposal,” Schneider said. “I wasn’t originally because of what had happened with the developer, but you’ve turned me around.”
City Attorney John Hessel said that the council could put a provision in the bill approving the Little Caesar’s that states they don’t want any more food service in the center. He also said the Mayor’s office or his office could draft a letter to send to Family Video stating the council’s desire to see other types of businesses besides food service in the center.
Mayor Robert Lowery congratulated the couple on their new business, noting that Dale Beck was a Ford employee who lost his job at the Hazelwood plant. “The time I spent with you was very good for me because most people don’t know how compassionate I truly am,” he said.
In other matters , Lowery thanked city voters for approving the one-fourth cent park improvement sales tax on Nov. 7. He added that “at the present time and for the foreseeable future, the city’s back in what I would say is stable financial condition.”
