LAFAYETTE, La. — A historic city neighborhood is set to change with plans to convert a residential house into a restaurant.
The house, located at 903 Myrtle Place, has been approved for rezoning from residential to mixed-use, allowing for neighborhood retail, during a recent city council meeting. A conditional use permit was also granted, paving the way for Five Mile Eatery to move in.
Supporters of the decision, like Gisele Menard, a nearby resident, views the move as a sweet development that could benefit the area.
“I was excited because I definitely am in support of Five Mile Eatery," she said. "I'm more in support of getting a really good use of this property. We need to have good redevelopment in places like this where it's necessary.”
Five Mile Eatery plans to relocate from it's current spot in the Oil Center to the corner Myrtle Place.
"Parents can walk and drop their child off at school and then walk right over to Five Mile Eatery for a little coffee and a Danish, and have some family time," Menard said.
However, residents like Stephanie Cornay Dugan have voiced their concerns over the potential disruptions the restaurant might bring to the neighborhood.
"We are just concerned about the traffic, the noise, the lights," Dugan said. "The changes that are coming and how that will affect people that have lived here all their lives."
Myrtle Place, which is located just off Congress Street, sees over 21,000 cars pass through daily. With nearby schools like Lafayette Middle and Myrtle Place Elementary, the neighborhood is already a hub of activity. The addition of a new restaurant could further increase both foot and vehicle traffic in the area.
Some residents even worry that the new restaurant could cause a ripple effect that could open the door for further commercial establishments in the area.
"Commercial intrusion into neighborhoods has been a big concern of ours," Dugan told KATC.
At the city council meeting, the restaurant owners stated they plan to add 18 parking spaces to accommodate the fewer than 60 guests the restaurant can host, both indoors and outdoors.
Dugan has enjoyed the restaurant during her visits to its Oil Center location but says she would like to have more open dialogue and clarity with the owners.
"Good luck, welcome to the neighborhood, but be mindful you have people that live there a long time, and we are elderly," she said. "We'd like to hear more about it and hear from them exactly what they are going to do and how it will impact the neighborhood."
For Menard, she's looking forward to the day she can visit the new location.
"This I see as good development. This type of change is what a growing neighborhood needs as it transitions to the future," Menard said.
