BRIDGEPORT — A developer is seeking to expand an East Side property into a new restaurant and bar with rooftop dining, but two City Council members are raising concerns about whether the proposed nightlife use is the right fit for the neighborhood.
KG Realty Group LLC is seeking a certificate of location approval for a liquor permit for Vendetta Restaurant & Lounge, proposed for 1198 and 1200 East Main St. A public hearing on the proposal was continued to the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Aug. 31 meeting.
Karen’s Ecuadorian Restaurant currently occupies about half of the one-story, 1,065-square-foot building at 1200 East Main St. A small vacant parcel sits at the corner of East Main and Shelton streets.
The proposal calls for combining the two parcels, totaling 6,418 square feet, and developing a roughly 3,500-square-foot building for the new restaurant. Plans include a full-service restaurant and bar with rooftop seating.
The development would also include landscaping, sidewalk and other aesthetic improvements, according to the project narrative. A driveway entrance and exit on Shelton Street would provide access for deliveries and service vehicles. The restaurant would rely on existing street parking along with some on-site parking for employees.
The restaurant would need to obtain a liquor permit before opening.
“We believe the proposed development should be approved based upon improvement to the property and compliance with local requirements,” the project narrative states. “The proposed project is compatible with the town’s goals by providing another restaurant in the East Side of Bridgeport. It will interest people passing by on East Main Street and bring more business to Bridgeport and the surrounding areas.”
Property owner Kimanie Graham could not be reached for comment.
At the Planning and Zoning Commission’s July meeting, Councilwomen Maria Valle and Aidee Nieves spoke in opposition to the proposal and called for additional discussions with the East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone group.
Nieves said she is concerned about congestion, noise and public safety in an area where residents have already complained about late-night activity.
“We have a restaurant that already exists there that only opens up late at night after hours which has been shut down for illegal operations, illegal gambling,” Nieves said. “We’re trying to clean up that area from Arctic Street to Shelton Street, and plus the public library is there and trying to create a safer corridor.”
The proposal appears to include music and other nightlife elements. While the city is trying to encourage development along East Main Street toward Steelpointe, Nieves said officials also have to consider existing public safety and quality-of-life concerns.
“Our constituents who live on the back side of those three blocks are continuously complaining about the music, the noise, the congestion, the loitering that happens around their properties,” Nieves said.
Her primary concern, she said, is preventing a repeat of situations in which a restaurant later begins operating more like a nightclub, creating problems for nearby residents.
“Right now we’re experiencing that on the lower part of Steelpointe with the restaurant that’s on the corner of Nichols and East Main Street,” Nieves said. “As a restaurant becomes a nightclub, the adjacent property owners are struggling because there’s fights out there, there’s broken bottles. It’s a bar as well. So just really trying to make sure that it’s a right fit for the neighborhood right now.”
Nieves said she is not opposed to development but wants more clarity about how the business would operate at night.
The developer was expected to attend a City Council community meeting Aug. 20 to hear residents’ concerns.
Dining and Cooking