As a followup to Saturday's Weber County Forum story, we're delighted to report that Ogden entrepreneur Earnie McKown's efforts to engineer a zoning "use" ordinance amendment consistent with his plan to host live band performances at his Harrison Plaza Shopping Center-situated Paris Cafe are already bearing preliminary fruit.
Mr. McKown's zoning amendment matter is now set for tonight's Ogden City Council "Special Session" agenda, in which connection we link this evening's council packet (see, 4a. CSR - Amendments to Lodge and Social Hall Definitions) :
The new proposed ordinance provides new definitions to the terms “Lodge” and “Social Hall” and "provides conditions for the approval of the Social Hall use in the C-1, C-2, and C-3 zones," as is more particulrly set forth in the link below.
 |
| Paris Cafe - C-2 Zoning |
While we're reticent to prematurely to call it a Council "slam dunk," we're highly encouraged by Mr. McKown's prospective legal posture as he prepares for tonight's council discussion and vote. Given our Ogden City Council's predilection to offer a "helping hand" to dang near any ambitious Ogden entrepreneur who "shows up on the Council doorstep," they wouldn't deny Mr. McKown's relatively innocuous rezoning request, would they? Mr. McKown's proposed amendment already enjoys the blessings of both Planning Directer Greg Montgomery and the City Planning Commission, after all.
You can attend tonight's Council session to night to find out. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. Otherwise check back with us in the morning.
Update 3/13/13 4:50 a.m.: This morning's Standard-Examiner reports that the Council, in what we'd describe to be a remarkable but all-too-typical display of bureaucratic micro-management and over-caution, has put this matter over for another two weeks for additional "discussion," to include further nit-picking on the question of "what time is suitable for the cafe to close at night." Significantly, (and without any reported corresponding opposition,) "[s]everal Ogden residents, nearby business owners and Paris Cafe patrons stood before the council Thursday night, voicing their support for live music." That "testimony," along with Greg Montgomery's and the City Planning Commission's above-mentioned favorable recommendations, ought to have been sufficient to get Mr. McKown's revised business plan back on track, or so it seems to us.
Beneath this morning's story one liberty-loving S-E reader hits the nail squarely on the head regarding the Council's inexcusable dawdling on this matter, a sentiment which we'll also cheerfully adopt as our own:
"Come on Ogden city; enough is enough with all the damn rules! Let the man have music and make money. So much for freedom huh? I'm pretty sure it won't bother anyone living around that area." -enoughwithrules
