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Committee delays vote on Cadue‑Harper rezoning after traffic and adjacency concerns
Summary
A proposed B4 rezoning for a Savvy Sliders restaurant with a drive‑through at Cadue and Harper drew questions about traffic, parking and neighborhood character; the committee voted to bring the public hearing back in one week for additional review of traffic materials.
The Committee of the Whole held a public hearing on a rezoning request to change a split‑zoned parcel at Cadue and Harper from P‑1 (parking) / B‑2 (local business) to B‑4 (general business) to permit a Savvy Sliders fast‑food restaurant with a drive‑through. After presentations and public comment, the committee voted to bring the item back in one week so members could review additional traffic information.
City Planning Commission and Planning & Development staff presented background and said the parcel once had a bank and had split zoning to match that prior use. The petitioner, represented by Abraham (Abe) Bazzi and consultant Brian Ellison, described revisions to the site plan that removed a proposed retail component and shifted the restaurant and circulation northward on the parcel to reduce impacts on a church and adjacent houses. The petitioner said the updated plan reduced parking demand and improved internal circulation.
Planning Director Marcel Todd and staff summarized the commission’s prior 4–4 tie and noted the City Planning Commission recommended approval after modifications; staff also recommended the Planning & Development Department (PDD) examine master‑plan classifications for the corridor. Traffic engineering staff reviewed the site’s traffic and told the committee a full supplemental study was not required; instead DPW conducted a targeted analysis and provided comments. Council Member Leticia Johnson asked to receive the traffic materials to review speed and turning movements on Cadue; she moved to bring the item back in one week so members could examine the traffic analysis.
Public commenters included neighborhood residents and stakeholders. Some supported reinvestment at the intersection and noted a shortage of nearby services; others objected to adding another fast‑food use on Harper and raised concerns about traffic, stacking at the drive‑through and potential impacts on nearby homes. Several callers (including Carolyn Hughes and Tyson Gersh) emphasized the need to prioritize residents living nearest the site and asked whether the project would create unwanted congestion or refuse/garbage issues.
Council action: Council Member Leticia Johnson moved to bring line item 6 (the 10:15 public hearing for the Cadue/Harper rezoning) back as a line item in one week; the motion carried without objection, and the committee will review the traffic engineering materials prior to taking further action.
Why it matters: The rezoning would change allowable uses at a busy intersection in District 4 and permit a drive‑through use that is conditional in B4. Committee members asked for more detailed traffic review and additional assurances about internal circulation, trash enclosures and neighborhood impacts before advancing the rezoning.
What’s next: The item was continued for one week so council members can review DPW’s traffic analysis and follow‑up materials; a special land‑use hearing will also be required if the drive‑through is to be approved.
