In 2004, the developers of the the Cityville mixed-use development on Lower Greenville made a deal with the neighborhood to get its OK for the zoning changes necessary to build the project. One of the compromises dealt with how late restaurants in the development could stay open. Note that this is something the developers agreed to in a fair and free negotiation.

Today, apparently, because the developers have not been able to lease space to any restaurants, Cityville will begin the process to get the restrictions abolished. This is the sort of thing that, as previously noted, makes my head hurt. The developers agreed to a deal that said any restaurant in the project had to close at 11 p.m. Why, now, they suddenly see this as a stumbling block is either incompetence or arrogance — and it is why those of us in the neighborhoods don’t trust developers. (And trying to understand why they need a restaurant there instead of neighborhood retail will only make my head hurt more.)

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The plan commission staff has recommended that the request to change the deal be denied. As they should. My mortgage company is not going to let me change my mortgage just because its current terms are inconvenient. Why should we let Cityville do what amounts to the same thing?