Plans approved for soda fountain

By Rupert Howell
The Downtown Square may soon have a soda fountain following action at Tuesday’s Batesville City Board meeting when aldermen approved a proposal for Curtis Mize to put such a facility in the former service station at Court Street and the Downtown Square across from the courthouse.
Speaking for Mize, City Code Office Administrator Pam Comer said the building will require doors, painting, electrical, walls moved, plumbing and heat and air.
She said plans are to serve milk shakes, cotton candy, snow cones and other goodies at the facility that last served as an antique store during Polar Express in 2015.
Jennifer Darby got permission for a tanning salon at 142 Public Square, a building owned by Alderman Stan Harrison who left the room prior to discussion of the property and returned only after the vote.
A previous request by Happy Foods food trailer to maintain a year round presence on the Square was denied with aldermen stating they didn’t want to become landlords with someone using utility outlets belonging to the city.
Happy Foods previously set up on the Square with Batesville Main Street’s Farmer’s Market each Wednesday. A special exception for Main Street covered that occupation.
One alderman noted that there is now plenty of (proposed) food outlets on the Square.
Alderman Harrison said those who own or maintain buildings should be considered noting that, “We’ve got a man spending $100,000 down here to open up and others readying to open businesses.”
A request to consider quotes for demolition of property on 215 College Street was tabled at the request of Norma Jean Hudson who stated she was a cousin of the property owner and was trying to resolve the issue before the house was torn down.
Comer interceded asking aldermen to require Hudson to complete clean up on another property on Tubbs Road along with her request to take care of the College Street property.
Clean-up proceedings for Coltaire Properties, a trailer park on Martin Luther King Drive, were stalled as the property changed hands the day before the meeting and the process must begin anew.
Nearby apartment owners presented board members with a petition asking for relief from the derelict property which was recorded into the minutes.
Comer told aldermen, “We’ve been working on some of these (trailers) for years.”
“Keep the pedal to the metal,” Alderman Harrison stated.
Batesville Police Chief Jimmy McCloud spoke up on the matter stating, “The trailers need to be moved as soon as possible. It’s becoming a nest for problems,” noting that four or five trailers are still on the property.