Next Time, Lemonade?

After saying no to ice cream, zoners Tuesday night voted down a sandwich shop at a Hill storefront.

It was a rejection of Plan B for Kelly Moye, who tried to open an ice cream shop at 10 West St. last June. The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) blocked his bid to do that, so he came back in September with a new proposal for the same location. The new plan was identical, except it called for a sandwich shop instead of an ice cream parlor.

Zoners voted down that plan at Tuesday night’s meeting of the BZA in the Hall of Records on Orange Street.

Moye faced blowback from the neighbors on both his applications. They complained that Moye hasn’t been able to control crime and drug use at other properties he owns near the planned ice cream or sandwich shop.

Moye acknowledged that some of his tenants had used drugs. But they moved out, he said.

During deliberation, board member Victor Fasano noted that the neighborhood already has stores that serve the same purpose as the proposed use. He said he would vote to deny, and the other board members followed suit.

Board chair Cathy Weber joked that the board might see Moye back next month looking to sell lemonade from the same location. (He wasn’t there Tuesday night to say either way.)

New Rudy’s Gets The Nod

With no discussion, the BZA voted unanimously to approve an application by Omer Ipek, owner of Rudy’s, to reopen the storied watering hole at 1227 Chapel St. Ipek sought permission to have only 51 parking spaces where 100 are required.

After 76 years on Elm Street, near the corner of Howe, Rudy’s closed in August. The landlord, who owns a Chinese restaurant next door, has announced plans to open a new bar in the same location. Meanwhile, Ipek is readying to re-open Rudy’s just a couple blocks away, at the corner of Chapel and Howe.