JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The Jacksonville Beach City Council on Monday voted against a zoning change, effectively rejecting a new beach bar proposed to go up in the place of an old one.
Mango’s Beach Bar and Grille, at the intersection of 5th Avenue North and 1st Street North, will remain Mango's.
A group of local developers wanted transform it into a place called Surfer the Bar, a two-story facility that would include offices, a food truck and more.
It's modeled after a similar business in Hawaii and would be the first location in the continental United States. Action News talked about those plans to some beachgoers on Monday before the vote, and they were divided on the idea.
“I think it would definitely pop a little more. Something a little brighter. Something that grabs people would definitely help,” said supporter Tyler Nichols.
“I like hole-in-the-wall places. So you can just go there and hang out in a nice beach area,” said beachgoer Rick Mohan.
Mayor Charlie Latham, who voted against the project, said that parking would be an issue.
"The mixed use was really, really a stretch and if you looked at the parking requirements for the bar, if it wasn't listed as mixed use, it's substantially more. And I've got to be honest with you, that was one of our original platforms as a council and it's one that I still stand by and that's, we have a parking problem," Latham said.
Other council members wanted to see a change on the property where Mango's currently sits.
"Mango's is there for good and it's not going to go anywhere and that's just the problem I have with it. Especially with the significant improvements that we've made with our downtown, Mango's is there, is a blighted eyesore," said Councilman Phil Vogelsang.
About two months ago, developers took their plans to the City Council to request a zoning change, but the council wasn't convinced that the new business model fits with what they have planned for the beaches area. So the developers went back and made some changes, including the removal of a patio, reduced overall square footage, reduced maximum occupancy, additional parking spaces, on-site security on weekends and allowing kids to stay until 10 p.m.
If the council had voted yes, then the bar would have moved into the next phase of consideration. Since the vote is no, Mango’s stays as is, and the developers told Action News before the vote they're not sure what their next step will be.