A residential garage at Bustleton Avenue and McKinley Street could soon be converted into a commercial kitchen after the Mayfair Civic Association on Nov. 17 voted not to oppose the owner’s zoning appeal.
Alonzo Coates owns the triplex at 2000 McKinley St. The property is at the end of a residential block. Bustleton Avenue runs alongside it. Renters live in three single-floor units, according to the owner. A single-story, 22-foot by 24-foot garage is attached to the rear, facing a common driveway.
Coates proposes to renovate the garage with a 10-burner range, two ovens, two deep fryers, three sinks, a bathroom, an office, food preparation tables and other facilities. The interior would be about 480 square feet. The owner hopes to rent the space to certified, licensed caterers, he said. There would be no food consumption on site and no public traffic, although caterers would need to park there to unload supplies and load prepared food for delivery.
Meeting-goers asked Coates and his architect about trash disposal, pest control, parking, hours of operation and fire safety, among other issues. Coates said his clients will be expected to take their waste with them and that any remaining trash will be kept in an enclosed area and collected by a private service.
As for pests, the owner said he has been in touch with neighbors and the city to develop a plan. Coates assured residents that his clients would be able to park beside the garage or in the backyard, so as not to block the common driveway. The owner said that he expects the city, through the permitting process, to restrict his hours of operation, while inspectors will ensure that the kitchen meets the fire code.
The civic group voted almost unanimously not to oppose the plan, providing that the owner agrees to several provisos to address the aforementioned concerns. A zoning hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21.
In other Mayfair Civic Association business:
ull; President Donny Smith announced that the neighborhood Christmas Decoration Contest will be judged starting Dec. 12 with prizes awarded starting Dec. 21. Residents are encouraged to decorate their homes and enter the contest by emailing to mayfaircivicassociation@yahoo.com or by visiting the group’s Facebook page. A map of the entries will be posted on MayfairCivicAssociation.com so that the public can tour the neighborhood and view the decorations.
Also in keeping with the Christmas theme, a Live Nativity scene will be staged on Dec. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Lambie Funeral Home, 8000 Rowland Ave.
• Milt Martelack, president of Mayfair Town Watch, invited dog walkers to join the new Dog Walker Watch program by emailing to dogwalkerwatch@gmail.com
The “Dog Watch” is a program where dog walkers get certified to look for criminal or suspicious activity in the community and report it to police through the Town Watch.
• Mia Hylan, co-chair of the Mayfair Memorial Playground Committee, said that the group’s Halloween Spooktacular raised $2,500 for new equipment. From Nov. 28 through Dec. 25, supporters are asked to do gift shopping at Modell’s where they can get a 15-percent discount by indicating that they want to support Mayfair Memorial Playground fundraising program. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the playground. Visit the MCA Facebook page or website to print the coupon.
• State Rep. Kevin Boyle said that his office has received no complaints about the area’s newest methadone clinic at Frankford Avenue and Decatur Street, probably because the clinic doesn’t have a lot of clients. The clinic has not gotten approval to accept government-funded health plans, Boyle said, so methadone users on public assistance have to find another approved clinic if they want coverage. ••
