After outraged business owners and Riverside residents spoke out against a proposed bill that would alter the process of applying for a mixed-use development in the Jacksonville neighborhood, the City Council member who introduced it is looking to quell concerns with a substitute bill.
Councilman Jim Love, who represents Riverside and Avondale, introduced the bill after the controversy surrounding a restaurant called The Roost on Oak Street. That planned use development was approved 13-to-5 by City Council in May but has since been appealed by a neighborhood group against the development.
The new regulations would make the hurdles more stringent for businesses seeking to rezone property in historic residential areas.
Although some of the more onerous requirements have been dropped, Love still believes the new proposal will meet the area’s needs.
A public hearing for the substitute bill, which has yet to be filed, will be held on Nov. 2 at Good Shepard Church on Stockton Street, and it will be in front of Land Use and Zoning on Nov. 15.
