Update: Stokes no-show, item tabled.
The Jackson City Council's Zoning Committee will take up Fondren Taste's application for rezoning so it can place hotel rooms on the second floor of its "restaurant."
Needless to say, the neighbors are up in arms about this as the "restaurant" has not exactly been the best of neighbors. Fondren Taste owners Clifton and Latrice Rogers want to have the property classified from C3 to UTC (Urban Town Center). Earlier post.
The Planning Board rejected the application on a 9-2 vote but the owners appealed to the Committee.
Tune in today at 2:30 on the Jackson City Council's Facebook page to watch the live-stream.
The zoning application states:
We intend to convert the upstairs space into Temporary Living Quarters-short-term, Airbnb-style suites designed for visitors to our area. These accommodations will be professionally managed and maintained to ensure they contribute positively to the community.
The purpose of this project is to provide safe, attractive lodging options while strengthening our neiqhborhood and local economy.
Planning & Development staff recommended approval of the project. (p. 13). However, the staff pointed out the key issue was the designation of North Mart Plaza as a local street, serving as a collector for Kings Highway and North State Street. The Planning Board staff stated the C3 designation was not compatible with a local street. The staff found:
Staff finds that the petitioned rezoning to UTC - Urban Town Center (Mixed Use) LJistrict would be consistent with the other UTC Zoning for the areas in south Fondren. The UTC Zoning would also help to mitigate some of the more intensive land uses that are permitted in the current C-3 Zoning classification. The rezoning would also support the Future Land Use Plan's designation of the area as a regional mixed use center.
Neighborhood opposition swiftly arose. Over 50 neighbors signed a letter making their feelings known to the Planning Board:
We, the residents of Kings Highway and surrounding neighbors have been adversely affected by the recently opened food and entertainment venues on North Mart Plaza (Parlour Room, 357 N. Mart, and Taste, 350 N. Mart}, which operate until 2AM and have regularly Invaded our residential neighborhood with loud music and car stereos, drag racing, reckless driving, yelling obscenities, end disturbing our peace and the sanctity of our own homes. We have called JPD end Capitol Police both as Individuals and through the Fondren neighborhood about these issues. We met Withrepresentatives from Taste and asked them to be good neighbors by turning down their music attar 1o PM, but nothing hes been dona. JPD in general, and officers hired as private security for Taste in marked ca,s have been dismissive of residents' complaints.Loud music pumped into living spaces is recognized as a form of torture around the world. Many of us are unable to keep to regular sleep patterns due to this activity 3-4 nights a week, and we are desperate. Please help.
The Fondren North Neighborhood Association and Fondren Renaissance Foundation oppose the rezoning as well.
Kingfish note: What will Stokes do?
32 comments:
They need a motel you rent by the hour
Will those rooms rent "by the hour?"
Secret brothel not so secret anymore.
If they approve this that HOA will be pissed. City council is making a mistake if they even consider this
if this doesnt work then they should just call them “champagne rooms” that rent by the quarter hour.
or they could do like they do in Osaka and you rent a private “karaoke room” that includes and hostess.
and dont even get me started on Soaplands 😍
Oh no i’ve said too much!😅
Rumor has it that Mr. Clifton has a little civil matter of his own he is dealing with. Something about a fisticuffs altercation with a patron of said establishment and said patron was a female. Again, just street committee hearsay and rumor at this point.
March 16, 2026 at 1:03 PM aw yeah "Allegedly" & It's old news been reported last year where have you been? You actually thought you were breaking street news it's old news on this platform take that back to facebook.
The city clerk is saying that Stokes is tabling this AGAIN. Stokes is gung ho on doing anything Latrice Rogers wants. Inquiring minds are wondering why.
I'd bet on Stokes being a no show.
In the olden days people sometimes got busy in the coat rooms of restaurants and bars. No coatrooms = need short stay motel rooms!
I'd rather sleep next to a rats nest and a cockroach infested room than sleep in those rooms. Black light please
I'm fairly certain the matter Solar Richard is talking about is in regard to an employee, not a patron. But I don't live on the internets enough to have my own pseudo name.
2nd floor??? They need to make sure the 1st floor ceiling is heavily reinforced!
Mustang 2
if you're going to gather over 50 neighbors to sign a letter listing your reasons for not wanting the zoning change, then please, make sure you proofread your letter first.
surely, over 50 people didn't completely overlook, or worse, not recognize all those errors.
I meant to say this where was the outrage from the neighbors when "Tiffany's" Strip Club was on the same block i'm old enough to remember & been there once lol
Tiffany's was not throwing block parties generating enormous amounts of traffic and noise. There were no outdoor speakers and DJs. Try again.
It won’t pass
Kingfish,
Do you think it will pass? Seems unlikely. Also, I’m betting several if not many of the local neighbors will be attending this meeting.
3:42 PM Smart a**! Prostitution & illegal Liquor soccer moms at that time wanted it closed down because their husbands were up to no good (In there heads) , but still no outrage now go to a ski resort & put your tongue on a chair lift pole
People did raise hell about Tiffany's. That's why there is an ordinance requiring strip clubs to be in certain areas.
1:43 checking in.
Hot damn I wish I'd bet money on my position earlier.
A STD Clinic would be welcomed downstairs
Can things in Jackson get any dumber...oh wait!
No one will be asking "What are they doin up in there?"
People will know.
My money is on there not being an elevator in the plans. That makes the second floor Non-ADA compliant for a business establishment open to the public = federal law violation.
Don't they know non-ambulatory people utilize rent-by-the-hour motel spaces? It may take them a few more hours, but still...
Planning and Development District staff used to be professional, ethical and community minded. Now they're just a bunch of JSU grads with diplomas in "Community Development in the Entrepreneurial Age".
What did the city council rule in this?
A restaurant that needs VIP suites like a strip club? Huh, who knew?
3:26 - Tiffany's never caused the noise complaints or other crap that Taste is creating. They also had ample parking across the street so that they didn't have to shut down the entire street. About the only thing one could complain about was the neon lights. The place was silent at night - no noise pollution and if there were any disturbances, they were few. Another big difference is that Tiffany's was on the corner of State Street, away from residences.
Yeah, but them statues had t*ts.
So, is prostitution at the club now legal? Will the prostitution be part of the Belle Collective show filmed here in Jackson? Maybe Bro. Stokes can play a pimp!
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