Public Hearing for Proposed Restaurant Demolition Moves Forward

The public hearing to consider the demolition of a former steakhouse restaurant will continue at the city council’s Thursday meeting.

After the hearing, the council will vote on whether to approve a conditional use permit for a planned unit development that calls for the demolishing the former Cattlemen’s restaurant at the corner of Jarvis Avenue and Newark Boulevard in the Rosemont Square shopping plaza.

If the permit is approved, the lot's owner, Imwalle Properties, will be allowed to construct two new commercial buildings. One is likely to have a fast food drive-thru and the other a retail store that would sell auto parts and supplies.

The drive-thru would occupy a 4,360-square-foot building, while a separate 6,640-square-foot is specified for an AutoZone store. Documents indicate that a coffee shop has expressed interest in moving into the drive-thru building.

Newark residents have expressed concern about another auto parts store being built so close to O’Reilly Auto Parts, which sits in the same plaza, and Robert Marshall of the city’s Planning Commission has stated that there could be too many coffee shops in close proximity, according to minutes from the commission’s June 7 meeting.

Community Development Director Terrence Grindall said property owners often do studies before making proposals and that market analysis shows that these businesses would do well in the planned location.

Grindall said the city would benefit from having more businesses move into town rather than havinging the building unoccupied. The building has been vacant since its closure about four years ago, he added. 

The public hearing, which was initially scheduled for June 23, was delayed at the request of Imwalle Properties after the owner of the lot stated his opposition to the project.

That owner said that the proposal does not comply with the shopping center’s covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&R) in regard to allowable square footage of the buildings, according to documents provided in the city council’s July 14 agenda packet.

However, Imwalle found an amendment to the CC&Rs. The property owners have since found a compromise, according to Grindall.

For more information, download the city council's agenda packet by clicking here.