Zoning issue may capsize Carribean Twist
Posted Jul 27, 2010 03:49:14 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A North End Halifax restaurant owner accepts some of the responsibility for the situation he’s in. Lyndon Hibbert assumed the restaurant he bought more than a year ago was licensed and zoned to be at the corner of Gottingen and Kaye Streets. This week, he was told by the planning department it’s not and he has a month to fix the problem, or close.
Caribbean Twist is in the same building as the former Toulany’s Lunchbox. In fact, Hibbert says that was part of the reason he didn’t apply for an occupancy permit.
“Part of the business plan was buying out an existing food establishment,” said Hibbert adding the agencies involved including the Black Business Initiative and Inova Bank would not have overlooked that issue if they thought it was a new business in a new location.
“It was not negligent on my part,” says Hibbert. “Yes, I assumed the prior business was zoned to be there and it was my fault for assuming that. But it was not negligent.”
And now he’s hoping the city’s planning department helps him resolve the issue.
The councilor for the area says he wants to work with Hibbert.
Jerry Blumenthal says he spoke with the planning department and “found out it’s really not the city’s fault because a permit was never taken out by either Mr. Toulaney for the cafe he had before or for the Caribbean Twist.”
Blumenthal says he’s hoping the owner of the building works with the current owner and the planning department to get the area rezoned from R2.
“It’s such a nice restaurant, I’m just hoping the City and the Caribbean Twist can come together with satisfaction because it’s very good for the neighbourhood and for the Hydrostone area,” says Blumenthal.
