Commission grants 2‑COP alcohol permit to Key Largo restaurant, requires parking to be finished first

The Monroe County Planning Commission approved a 2‑COP alcoholic beverage use permit for Zika Key Largo Indian Cuisine, allowing beer and wine sales on the premises and package sales, subject to staff's recommended conditions and an additional condition that the restaurant complete construction of a compliant parking lot and close the related permits before county staff signs the state form.

Liz Lustberg, the staff presenter, said the restaurant is a lawfully established use but lacks final parking permits; staff recommended approval with the additional requirement that parking construction be finished and permits closed prior to staff signing the state application. "So what staff is recommending is approval...prior to staff signing off on the state form...they complete the construction on the parking lot and have that permit closed out with all approvals completed," Lustberg said.

Owner Ganesh Selvan told the commission the business has waited more than a year for the license and that approval would help the small family operation. Selvan said the parking lot and requested native vegetation would be completed in "15 to 20 days" and estimated about $150,000 in lost sales over roughly the last 1.5 years. He asked the commission to approve the permit subject to the state review process.

A commissioner noted strong community support on social media and moved to approve. The motion was seconded, and with no recorded 'no' votes the permit application was approved by the commission; the staff condition requiring completion of parking work remains part of the approval record.