Over the objections of several of her neighbors, a Zachary woman on Tuesday, May 23, won the City Council’s permission to run a catering business from her Newell Street home — a decision that opponents said runs afoul of zoning restrictions meant to keep residential and commercial areas separate.
A standing-room-only crowd turned out to the meeting, with many people heading to the lectern to criticize Kayla Williams’ plans to prepare large orders of dishes like spaghetti, sandwiches and red beans and have customers pick them up. Besides their concerns about permitting business activity in a residential section, people said they are worried about the possibility of increased traffic, trash and noise.
Others, including some council members, said those concerns are unfounded and were supportive of Williams’ entrepreneurial efforts.
“There’s a lot of people that cook out of their houses, sell food out of their houses and all of that without going through the proper steps,” said Zelda Thomas, a longtime customer of Williams. “So I commend her for coming and trying to do things the right way.”
“She’s a great cook,” Thomas added.
Williams, who already operates a food trailer in Baton Rouge and calls her business Kayla’s Kajun Kitchen, had come to the council to request a conditional use permit — a waiver that is required for someone to run a business out of a home in a residential zone.
City planning director Bryant Dixon said Williams’ proposal meets all city code requirements, and the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended it for approval.
Home-based businesses are not uncommon in Zachary; Councilman James Graves noted there are at least 135 such enterprises on the books, with many more likely operating unofficially. Still, residents of the Newell Street area are unhappy with the idea of having one in their neighborhood.
Residents reject to business in neighborhood
Some people, including Mayor David McDavid, suggested that Williams’ customers could cause traffic problems.
“I grew up in that neighborhood. I have family still in that neighborhood,” McDavid said, adding that traffic is already an issue in the area. “I’m concerned about people coming to your residence and picking up stuff. I have a problem with that because I think with most home-based businesses, we don’t allow that.”
Speakers listed a variety of other reasons they are against the proposed business.
One man is afraid property values will suffer. Another wondered about Williams’ ability to safely cook and store large quantities of food.
“If you’ve ever had botulism,” said Howard McDaniel, “you’ll know what I’m talking about.”
A woman who lives nearby worried about the catering venture generating lots of smelly trash. A neighbor on Newell Street speculated that crime could get worse.
“We could be dealing with crime if you’re selling things, you’re having people coming in and out of the neighborhood, different people,” said the neighbor, Angela White.
A major gripe of several speakers was what they view as a blurring of lines between residential and commercial areas of Zachary and a city government unwilling to uphold its own zoning standards. Many said they moved to Newell Street or surrounding streets specifically because they are quiet, family-oriented and tucked away from Zachary’s business corridors.
“What are we going to have next, a barroom?” asked Billy Mann, who said he’s lived on Newell Street for 56 years.
Donald J. Charlet, a Jane Marie Street resident and former city councilman, said a risky precedent has been set with the approval of so many home-based businesses in recent years — leaving the council little room to reject waiver requests, even when neighbors are opposed to the proposed businesses.
“The council has freely chosen to mix residential with business, and now you are seeing the consequences of that decision. … If you like controversy, keep doing what you’re doing,” Charlet said.
After nearly an hour of discussion, the council voted 4-1 to give Williams the conditional use permit. District 2 Councilman John LeBlanc, who represents the Newell Street area, was the lone dissenting vote.
“Some of our greatest Fortune 500 companies and inventions were started in a garage,” said Councilwoman Ambre DeVirgilio, who made the motion for approval.
“My mom actually started a catering business out of our house. … My dad also has a multimillion-dollar business now out of his home, so it is very hard for me to not allow someone to do this,” said Councilwoman Brandy Westmoreland.
Williams still has a couple of steps left to go before she can open for business. She needs to get an occupational license from the city, and to be able to do that, she must have approvals from the state Department of Health, Dixon said.
City attorney Hopewell reappointed
In other business Tuesday, the council reappointed John Hopewell as city attorney. The decision normally would have been made along with other department head appointments soon after the new mayor and council took office earlier this year — but it has been delayed because of confusion over whether two people could be hired for the job at the same time to allow for a transition period. Hopewell has said he wants to step down from the position, which he has held for more than a decade, sometime soon.
“I certainly think you’re looking for a city attorney by the end of this term,” Hopewell said Tuesday.
He said he’ll work with McDavid to find a solution, possibly by hiring an assistant city attorney who could learn on the job and eventually take over for Hopewell.
“I do not intend to leave him or to leave the city or to leave you guys in the lurch,” Hopewell told the council. “We’re going to find somebody to replace me. I know that I’m not going to be forever. But until that day comes, we’re going to work to make sure that there isn’t a gap in the institutional knowledge and there isn’t a gap in the representation.”
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