More

than 200 people crammed into the meeting chambers

at Fayetteville City Hall Tuesday night, the vast

majority of them with a single message -- keep

Hooters out of Fayette County.

Most of the crowd gathered 30 minutes before the

Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission

meeting around the fountain in front of the

Fayette County government complex for a time of

prayer, then marched across Ga. Highway 85 to

voice their opinions to the commission.

A development plan is now under consideration for

a Hooters restaurant at Banks Road and Ga.

Highway 314. When the issue was placed on Tuesday

night's agenda, concerned citizens spread the

word by telephone and at various Sunday morning

church services.

For more than an hour, the commissioners listened

as people expressed their concerns that an

establishment such as Hooters would pose a

serious threat to families in the county, most of

whom said they moved here because of the kind of

values that are 180 degrees removed from what

Hooters represents.The restaurant chain is known

across the country primarily for its

"Hooters girls," who serve customers in

T-shirts and bright orange shorts.

The applicants spoke very briefly and mostly

addressed the actual development plan. The

proposal is consistent with the current zoning

for the site, which is C-3, and the land use plan

calls for "highway commercial" usage

there, according to a city staff memo.

The crowd first made its presence known when

commissioner Allen Feldman began to ask what kind

of activity is common in a Hooters restaurant. He

was only able to get out the words, "I've

never been in a Hooters...." when thunderous

applause erupted, after which several people

shouted, "Me, neither."

An attorney representing Hooters emphasized that

the restaurants serve no alcohol, only beer and

wine. He added that Hooters girls project

an"all-American, girl next door" image.

That didn't sit well with most of the audience,

who spent the next hour telling the commissioners

that they considered Hooters only a short step

above a strip club and bordering on the

pornographic.

"They serve lust for lunch, and we don't

want it," was how one speaker put it.

"People don't go there for food any more

than they read Playboy for the articles."

A number of speakers stated that allowing

establishments such as this would be detrimental

to families and a negative influence on everyone,

especially children.

Also of concern was what many felt was a strong

possibility that allowing Hooters would lead to

an invasion of businesses such as the New York

Video store in the Shannon Mall area, an

establishment that specializes in adult

entertainment materials.

John Hatcher, a local pastor, acknowledged that

the commission has laws and regulations it must

abide by, but he added, "There's a higher

law," and suggested that a crowd such as

this could be an indication that the city may

have a good reason to take a stand even if it has

to defend itself in court.

Hooters of America chairman Bob Brooks, a Fayette

County resident, was not present at the meeting,

and his absence was not unnoticed.

"I wish Bob Brooks were sitting here to hear

how his fellow citizens feel," said Woody

Johnson, who reiterated Hatcher's statement that

the commission does not have the final authority

to quash the plan, but added, "I know Brooks

could stop it tomorrow."

Johnson added that he knew many of the people

standing behind him as he spoke would return for

future meetings whenever necessary.

After the public comment phase was closed,

commission chairman Myron Coxe invited the

applicants to return and address whatever issues

they wished. They declined.

Commissioner Al Lipscomb said that she would like

a legal opinion on whether Hooters would be

considered a "sexually oriented

business," which according to city

ordinances must be located in manufacturing or

industrial areas. She told the audience that

their complaints should be addressed to Hooters

management as well as the city, and she has an

obligation to protect the city in areas where it

could be sued.

Feldman

followed up on those remarks by saying that a

constitutional issue is also involved here,

provided city codes and ordinances are met and

the zoning is appropriate. "He [the

developer] can build this one of two ways -- with

his own money, or with your money" if the

city denies him and he wins in court, Feldman

said.

One issue that was lost in the moral debate was

the more concrete issue of road improvements.

Lipscomb pointed out early in the discussion that

JDN, the company responsible for the overall

Applebee's/Eckerd/Hooters site, was to complete

certain improvements on Banks Road before any

development beyond Applebee's and Eckerd was to

commence, and had not yet done so.

One resident said that anyone interested in

obtaining contact information for Hooters to let

the company know how he or she feels about the

development plan can go to www.newhopebc.org , the web

site for New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville,

and get that information.

The issue will be revisited at the commission's

July 25 meeting, which is its voting meeting for

this month.

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