Dozier gets rezoning for 'Lockhouse' By Julie M. Fidler, Assistant Managing Editor August 11,1999

The Lockhouse restaurant came two steps closer to becoming a reality Tuesday night at the Batesville City Council's regular meeting.
The council passed an ordinance to rezone an acre of city-owned property at Riverside Park near Lock and Dam No. 1 on the White River from Residential-2 to Commercial-2. Aldermen also approved a lease agreement between the city and Danny Dozier, restaurateur, for the land and the lock-keeper's house on the property.

Dozier, owner of The Depot Diner on Lawrence Street, plans to renovate the historic house and add on a kitchen and a 60- by 60-foot room with a wrap-around deck overlooking the river. The restaurant would accommodate around 150 diners and provide musical entertainment.

The lease agreement lists the city as the lessor and Dozier and his wife, Cathy, as lessees. The Doziers' attorney, Robert Stroud, spoke to the council about the 20-year lease. The rent will be $100 per month. Dozier has said he plans to invest at least $150,000 in structural improvements, not including the cost of restaurant equipment.

Mayor Joe Biard said the council will work with the county sheriff's department to diminish problems with traffic, noise and disturbances at the park. He said the road through the area will be changed a bit to accommodate the restaurant.
In other business, the council set aside a request to rezone an area at 120 White Drive from Commercial-2 to Commercial-3. The city's planning commission recommended the rezoning at the request of Joe Don Reynolds, representing North Arkansas Human Services System Inc., in May. The agency had planned to buy the land and, with an adjacent tract it already owns at 160 White Drive, construct an apartment complex for handicapped residents.
However, at a rezoning hearing during the planning commission's July meeting, NAHSS met opposition on its request to rezone the property it owns. At the commission's Aug. 2 meeting, NAHSS withdrew its request to rezone that property.
Carl Biggers, who owns the property at 120 White Drive, said he has no contract with anyone. He said NAHSS has shown interest in it, as have two other buyers that would construct apartments. Aldermen Gerald Gaither and Jerry Pectol, the council's liaisons to the planning commission, said they thought the NAHSS project was dropped when it withdrew its zoning request. They added that they believe the neighbors who showed up at the July 12 planning commission meeting to oppose the rezoning were also unaware of Biggers' request for rezoning.
Those opposing the rezoning at the July meeting said they have had trouble with residents of the Light House, an NAHSS group home for the chronically mentally ill, on North Heights Street. Biggers said he lives on the same block and has never had any problem with the Light House residents.
The issue was tabled until the council's Aug. 24 meeting or until Biggers is able to attend a city council meeting.
In other zoning matters, the council agreed to rezone 10 acres owned by Bill Wolford from Residential-2 to Commercial-2. The area is on the north side of Harrison Street near where the city limits meet Moorefield. When Biard asked Wolford his plans for the property, Wolford said, "To sell it."
In other business, the council voted to promote James Boothby to the position of assistant fire chief. The position was left vacant after the death of Keith Stroud.
Aldermen also made two appointments to the planning commission, which it recently expanded from a 5-member panel to seven members. Mariam Lee was appointed to position six, a 4-year term, and Mark Skelton will serve in position seven, a 5-year term.
The council also discussed an upcoming interlocal law enforcement committee meeting at 3 p.m. Aug. 30 in the municipal courtroom of the Jess B. Carpenter Building. Biard said council members Gaither, Jim Cargill, Robert Ford and David Insell are on the committee, but that there are only supposed to be two representatives from the council. He chose Cargill and Insell to serve on the committee - Cargill because he was an alderman when the interlocal agreement was established, and Insell because he is the council's liaison to the sheriff's office.
Ford asked Insell and Cargill to be sure to bring up the possibility of reinstituting the city's own police force. About the interlocal agreement, Ford said, "We got the short end of the stick. Be thinking about that."
The council also agreed to adopt the state's 1999 fire code as the city's code. The city has been using the state's 1992 fire code for the past six years.
Council member Dana Bone was absent.