Valerie:

No word from the planning department..

Valerie:

The tension from all the stress dealing with the planning department has finally crept into our relationship. Until now we've been able to work together towards one goal and comfort each other when everything is looking down. Now the stress and lack of sleep has pushed us to two different places mentally.

While we both agree that the situation has been unfair to us and that we have been wronged it's how we want to deal with it that it causing the rift. Clayton wants answers and confrontations, I just want to never have to deal with zoning and planning again. I feel that pointing our finger at the planning department will sign the death sentence to our dream of a bar. He's letting his emotions run the course of lives and it's a big mistake.

How we act in the next three weeks will determine how this thing plays out. I hope we can keep it together and get it done...

Valerie:

The frustration is starting to get overwhelming. Just one we think everything sailing smoothly the planning department likes to throw one our way. We exhausted, not giving up but just plain exhausted.

Yesterday we had our review meeting for our parking variance application. We've hired a lawyer who has gone over all the paperwork and asked countless times if everything is in order. We were assured that everything was. At the meeting they announced that we would be needing an additional building coverage variance. What?!? All of over information has been in for over 3 months and they just figured this out. Their timing was impeccable because had they told us before the meeting we may have had time to collect all of our data and be on schedule. We were incredibly forgiving when they overlooked the fact we needed a parking variance and set us back a month. Now they do it again and set us back another month. Something is not right here...

They'll get away with it. There will be no accountablity from them. In the end it'll cost us a lot of money, time, and sleep. We'll get through it and I look forward to the day when we never have to deal with them again.

And what the hell is a building coverage variance and why do we need one!?

Valerie:

I think we have finally decided on some colors. It just goes to show that two strong minded people with different opinions can learn to compromise. The light green color will be on the main walls with a back bright red accent wall. On the top of the wall will go the deep orange color. There is a shelf that divides the wall, considering the blue for that.

It makes me wonder about the color names they come up with. We have chosen Mojito, Tibetan Orange, High Drama, and Voyage. I'm okay with Tibet and voyages but my plan was to keep high drama and mojitos out of the bar. There was another light green grey color we had debated on putting on the main walls but I refused to have something named tea bag on my walls. We're not that sort of a place..

Valerie:

We've started construction. Kind of exciting. I've always been one of those people who loves to go to casinos to feel that rush. That's what we've done now. We're putting all of our money on red.

Valerie:

We're starting to put aside the political and city red tape and concentrate on other matters of the bar. Color is our focus these days. It's been an ongoing debate for two strong minded individuals. It turns out that Clayton and I have two completely different opinions on what colors to paint the bar. We both agree on a mediterran feeling in the bar and keep it warm. Easier said than done.

We have decided on our exterior colors. There is such limitations on what colors can go on the exterior because of Harc it made it easier on us. The creamy yellow is on the main part with the red painted on the doors with white trim. I further want to use furniture and plants to pop some bright colors against the more subtle outside.

The interior I want bright and pleasing, I want people to walk in and and feel cheered without being fully aware of the color that is one the wall. What colors that translates to I'm not sure. I am sure of that neither Clayton and I are interior designers. It could get interesting.

Valerie:

Even this blog has been giving me trouble, won't let me sign in. Like this whole bar situation I think I have finally figured it all out.

Just because I haven't been writing doesn't mean that everything has been going smooth. Just the opposite, the roller coaster ride has had more turns and hills.

After having our application in 2 months several things were discovered in our application. One is that we need a parking variance. That means another $1000 and another month setback. More money and waiting, patience and money being two things we seem to be losing. The other was a municipal code stating that in our zone a bar can not be because of excessive noise. We now have to prove that a low key wine bar will not producing any more noise than a retail shop. Not that you would be able to hear it over the tacky music coming from the sidewalk bar 3 doors down or the rowdy gay bar across the street.

Throw in a unfair negative neighbor complaint on top of these new developments and we found ourselves in a not too good position. Things were not going our way and it was not looking too hopeful for us. Very dim indeed.

So we got a lawyer. After one consultation everything has been put into perspective. This is just one small step into making the bar a reality. We will get there.

Valerie:

We've done it now..we've gotten the planning department mad at us. That was the one thing we didn't want to do. Some news got around about our board meeting being pushed back, some phone calls were made, and now the department is upset with.

I'm not sure what this means for us but I'm sure it's not good. I've never been more terrified of the power from one group of people before. And we've dealt with INS before. The one department that could the one decision between our dream and us, and we've gone and ticked them off..

Valerie:

They're messing with us...We have everything in. Our building permits are done, Harc has approved our construction and exterior colors, Ada finally got approved and 22 letters of support. The only next thing was to go to the planning board meeting in less than 2 weeks and await the big decision.

They couldn't make it too easy on us, they decided not to schedule us for the upcoming meeting. it's better for them to push us back to the next meeting in June. That's 6 more weeks of this torment! I just want a decision and a good night's sleep...

Valerie:
We've been on the rollarcoaster ride of emotions for the past 2 weeks over the conditional use application. One day everything is going good, things are looking real good for us. The next day everything is hopeless, no possible way this bar will open. We've gone though all the emotions: denial, anger, depression. I've had that relationship before. I didn't like it then. I don't like it now. I want to know at the end of the day what is going to happen in 2 weeks. I've noticed we don't want to make mention anything past the decision time. It's suddenly our apocalypse. We don't know where we'll be in 2 weeks. We could be rushing around picking out wine coolers and bar stools or we could be staring despondently at a blank shop. We could be left behind.

We've had some mixed reactions from the neighbors. Over all we've had a lot of positive and encouraging support. One man has already written us off as a rowdy and disruptive bar that will bring down the neighborhood. He's never met us or is willing to sit down with us to discuss his concerns. All we can do is try. Today we are turning in 21 support letters to the planning board. 21 neighbors are willing to take a chance on us in their neighborhood. I'll take that any day over one disgruntled one.

Valerie:

I feel like finally things are starting to move along for us. Today is the DRC meeting, that's a preliminary meeting to determine all the factors involved with our application. It means that we are half way to the final big decision moment.

Last week we sent out a detailed letter to everyone within 300 ft of the location. We explained what our concept of the bar will be and included a self addressed envelop with letter of support. It sounded like such a simple concept...I don't know how politicians do it. Our living room became a pile of stamps, letters, and addresses. Throw in a printer breakdown and two trips to Office Max and it was an exciting 2 days in the Chelley household.

We have been getting replies back already. Last night there was a signed letter of support by the oldest businessman in town. Our names I'm sure are strangers to him but he still sent it back. If someone who has been involved in Key West business for decades is still encouraging new business that says something. It's always nice to know you have support of your friends and Key West family behind you. They are the ones that have stuck by you through many difference adventures in your life. There is something warming about people taking the time to send back their support when they haven't meet you. And that is Key West.

Valerie:

I've realized the past couple of days how worried I am about the conditional use application we have in for the place. It's starting to affect me: my nerves are shot, haven't slept a full night in awhile, and paranoia has sunk in.

This whole bar is basically dependent on one action, that is getting the planning board to approve our conditional use for a bar in a spot that was originally a retail shop. We're taught to believe that we are in control of our own destiny and fate. Nope. Our life will change according to the decision rendered by seven members of the community. Before it gets to that point our application will be throughly dissected by all departments in the city of Key West including Ada, Harc (historic buildings), parking, utilities, traffic, etc. Everyone we have dealt with so far has been very helpful but it's the idea of it all. The waiting for the one decision that could prevent us from pushing forward with our dream.

From the horror stories people love to tell us we have gathered that the littlest thing can put a kink in the works or worse stop everything. We letting the stress and paranoia overtake us. Clayton was out saturday and chatting up someone who had recently gone through the process. He stated that he didn't believe we should be approved. That sent us in complete panic mode. 24 hours later I'm writing a frantic email to our representative in the planning board. She reassures that if any problems arise she'll get a hold of us. I have a feeling she'll be changing her email address before this is all up. I regret that we may end up this highly annoying couple with no patience. We need to Relax..

Clayton:
Well this is my 5 1\4 bar I have built, or should I say when and if this wine bar is complete it will be 5 1/4.

All my other bars I have built in my homeland of New Zealand. I always felt I had artistic ability but no way of showing it. I can't draw, can't build, can't sculpt and so on but I can do all those things in my head. The only way I felt iI could create was to build bars. Building bars in N Z was a walk in the park compared the hurdles I am facing with this simple little wine bar. The one thing I really admired about America was it was always portrayed as the land of opportunity. That maybe so but it's not without what feels like trip up land mines to discourage you from trying too hard.
We had to sign a lease before we could apply for a building permit. To sign a lease for a shop on a busy main street of a tourist town is as you can imagine very expensive, but the process does not start without this first step. So I told Valerie now there is no turning back. Stay tuned for the weeks and what looks like months of hurdles our little wine bar endures before we open in hopefully the not too distant future. I just hope we don't go broke before we manage to get the doors open for the first day.

Valerie:

This is the spot we hope for everything to happen. This will be our little spot in paradise. As a bartender for 12 years and a big fan of wine this could be it for me. Key West has already been my home almost 8 years, I had already made the decision that I never want to see snow again and island living suited me.

I recently helped my husband start a t-shirt line dirtydogtees.com. The next step was a space to sell tees. As soon as we saw the space all our eyes saw was a wine bar. That's what happens when two bartenders get together. We can see already...The front has to become a porch for patrons to comfortably people watch as they sip a nice red. The colors will be warm and Mediterranean feeling with rows of nice bottles of wine. It will be the place to come to read the paper in the nice morning light, enjoy a leisurely glass of Cabernet and espresso in the afternoon, and unwind in the evening with some lively bar conversation at night. And of course wine. Good wine.

That is the easy part. We had 4 good days of imaging our fabulous place and planning which vintage to serve at our gala like openings. Then we were told of conditional use permits, ada requirements, historic or harc approvals, seat fees, occupational licenses...it goes on. Our simple plan continues to take on new twists and turns. It's only been 2 weeks and I can foresee months of drama and frustration. But I'm still planning the wine list in my head.