Effort to Save Historic Bug Shows Deeper Issue

With the old VW bug sitting on top of a building at the corner of W. Morehead Street at Freedom Drive soon to be zoned as art by city council, it paves the way for Pinky's Restaurant to open. After permits clear, it should happen in about six months says Pinky's partner Chris Cauble, "we're excited (laugh)."

The fuss over the Bug has been just one fight the restaurant has had to deal with since making plans to open.
Another is parking. "Parking is a touchy situation being just outside of downtown, so we've secured a lot and additional parking lease for 5 years," said Cauble.

Pinky's battle spotlights a problem for many businesses wanting to open along the growing W. Morehead Street corridor. The city pushes for development. But, because of the new pedestrian overlay requirements with sidewalks and bike lanes buffered by a lack of parking in the old west corridor, it makes it extremely difficult for them to do so.

At Monday night's City Council meeting, members got a dose of reality during discussion over expediting rezoning for the Volkswagen Beetle to become art. "We're putting new requirements on new investment that are prohibiting the land to be developed, and jobs to be created. And if we don't wake up then the investment's going to somewhere else," said John Lassiter. While Andy Dulin added, "sometimes this crowd gets out ahead of ourselves trying to do right, trying to keep up with other cities that are doing things.
We need to get out of their way and let these folks open their dagburn business and hire 40-people."

Councilman Dulin says Council will look into the pedestrian overlay issue further.