Corydon cafe owner wins appeal

The owner of a Corydon Village-area cafehas won his battle with City Hall.

Gennaro Cianflone wants to expandCaf 22'sdining room, cocktail lounge and patio and had presented his plans tothe city's Board of Adjustment in November.

The cafe currently has a maximum capacity of 50 people each in the restaurant and lounge, and 13 on the patio.

Cianflone wanted toincrease thetotal by 189 adding81 seats to each of the dining room and cocktail loungeand27 seats on the patio. That would give the restaurant a total capacity of 302.

'They listened to the community.' Gennaro Cianflone, owner, Cafe 22

To do so, Cianflonewanted to build the restaurant up, by adding a second floor, andout by demolishinga duplex on the east side.

But the board, acting on a recommendation from city planners, restricted the total capacity to 225 people, divided 75-113-37 between the lounge, restaurant and patio, respectively.

Cianflone appealed, arguingthe restriction was discriminatory because other restaurants on Corydon have been allowed larger expansions.

He alsodisputed accusations that drinking establishments are responsible for rowdy behaviourin the area. Cianflone said in its nine years of operation, Caf 22 sportsa "model record, zero incidents."

He also presented more than500 support letters after sending notices to area residents, explaining his plans and seeking their support.

On Thursday, theappeal committee bought his arguments andallowed 74 seats beyond that recommended by the planners, giving Cianflone's cafa total capacity of 299.

Cianflone was chuffed that the committee gave the nod to his plans.

"It's very clear and visible to them that the community actually is in very full support of our application,"he said."And they listened to the community ... I'm extremely happy and excited by that," Cianflone said.

As well,Caf 22'soperating hours will beextendeduntil 2 a.m. on four days of the week, rather than midnight.