The City Council voted 5-3 tonight to not allow a developer to build an International House of Pancakes on Gunbarrel Road.
The issue has been controversial for months with Councilman Jack Benson saying the proposed IHOP went against the area’s land use plan. The council’s action nixes the proposal.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission had previously voted against allowing the restaurant in the area.
For more information, read tomorrow’s edition of the Times Free Press.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
I laugh. The city is grabbing land for tax revenue without offering services and refusing businesses because of a councilman's fear that the average Joe or Jane might wander into his gated area. Shame on this city.
Jack Benson still hates pancakes!
The Waffle House mafia "PAC" put a squash on this one.
Would love to know the political connections behind this decision.
Shame on Jack Benson.
Aren't there restaurants across the street? Why are restaurants allowed on one side of the street and not the other? IHOP does not sell intoxicating beverages nor is it a music and dance club. The council/public can not use the "menace to the neighborhood" excuse. Isn't Chattanooga trying to raise revenue? Building a restaurant employees carpenters, builders, plumbers, and roofers. Opening a restaurant HIRES employees, especially one open 24/7/365. Isn't all of this, plus the fact the NEWLY hired employees are going to be spending money and paying taxes, going to generate more tax revenue? Hiring 50-100 new restaurant workers is going to help unemployment, maybe not much but a little. Isn't that less taxpayer outflow and more tax income? All of these questions because of what side of the street a man wants to build a family restaurant? One block north of there, aren't there restaurants on the SAME side of the street? Go figure, I guess somebody didn't get their palm greased. Or, the prospective builder urinated in the councilmans' morning cereal at some point.
The best excuse I heard was that there were concerns about traffic. Seriously? Worried about traffic in that area? Do they really think one more eatery would increase traffic around Hamilton Place?
Come on up to Soddy Daisy IHOP, we will treat you right.
Just add to the list another reason why I don't live in the City any longer and don't want them moving the line to Ooltewah. I would say Panera had somehting to do with this also.
Wonder if it really had something to do with the property owner's accent and name?
After all, this is such a bucolic green space more suitable for a botanical garden or, maybe, a prayer grotto. Good work City Commishes. I always knew you all were good stewards of our city's treasures.
REALLY, put it behind the Suntrust then
The city probably has plans to place a 3 million dollar piece of "art" there.
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