Mayor gets behind lounge planned above burger place

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Mayor Paul Winfield on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposed lounge above longtime downtown eatery Burger Village during a Vicksburg Board of Architectural Review meeting. However, it appears likely the issue will come before the mayor and aldermen in a public hearing after all. 

“People who are willing to take a chance in the city limits and invest their hard- earned money, if you’re willing to make that investment to beautify a historic property in our city, I think we should support them,” said Winfield, who is not a member of the architectural review board. “This is a viable, legal business and we want them to be downtown.”

After an hour of discussion, the board OK’d a new balcony, windows and doors to be installed on the vacant, second story of 1220 Washington St. — occupied on the ground floor by Burger Village. Applicant Noel Ross was represented by his brother, Charles Ross, who last month had an application to operate a nightclub above the eatery denied by the Vicksburg Zoning Board of Appeals.

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Ross had secured an appeals hearing in front of the mayor and aldermen for Oct. 9. However, Ross said he withdrew it due to a change in the business application. The original application identified the business as a bar or nightclub, which is a restricted-use, according to downtown zoning regulations approved in 2007.

The new application lists the business as a lounge and grill, which is allowed downtown as long as 60 percent of revenue is generated through food sales. The application is still being reviewed, Ross added, pending action of the architectural review board.

Ross described the lounge, tentatively called End Zone Lounge and Grill, as an expansion of Burger Village. Food service will be expanded upstairs and alcohol sales will be expanded to the restaurant, which serves beer, but no liquor. The restaurant will maintain its daytime hours, while the lounge will be opened in the evening, said Ross, with a planned 2 a.m. closing time.

“I hope to have everything pulled together and be open for business by Nov. 15,” said Ross, who will manage the lounge. “It’s been long enough already. We have the money; we have the drive and the determination; we just need to get the work approved.”

The architectural review board initially approved a motion denying Ross’ request to add a new balcony and stairs on the front of the building by a 7-1 vote, stating historic district regulations do not permit a new balcony on any building that did not have a balcony previously. Nancy Bell, executive director of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation — also not a member of the architectural review board — said city records dating to 1886 do not show a balcony on the building at any time. Dorwin Shields — who served as Winfield’s campaign manager during the mayoral campaign this summer — cast the lone dissenting vote.

“We can’t rewrite our guidelines,” argued board member Thurmond Nelson.

However, following Winfield’s appeal, a second motion was made to approve the balcony without a staircase. That motion passed 5-3 with board members Dorwin Shields, Thurmond Nelson and Toni-Lanford Ferguson casting the dissenting votes. Motions were subsequently approved to extend a current balcony on the rear of the building, as well as to add two new windows and a door on the second story building front. Nonetheless, Ross told the board approval of a balcony without a staircase was unnecessary as he intends to appeal to the mayor and aldermen. He has 10 days to file that appeal with the city clerk, after which a public hearing will be set.

“Obviously, you’re going to get your balcony and staircase, so this is all mute,” said board member Charlie Gholson, referring to the mayor’s open support of Ross’ application.

“This is not a done deal. I’m just one vote,” Winfield quickly responded. “I can’t speak for the other two board members, but I intend to vote to approve this balcony (and staircase).”

Board members present Tuesday were Shields, Nelson, Gholson, Tom Pharr, Toni Lanford-Ferguson, Sue Seratt, Betty Bullard and Troy Weeks. Also Tuesday, the board approved a request from Daryl Hollingsworth to install windows and a roll-up door at 1301 Monroe St.

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com