Cajun Dave's Smoker Permit Almost Revoked

The owners of in downtown Kent narrowly gained approval Wednesday to keep using their for another year.

Members of Kent City Council voted 5-4 Wednesday night to give the restaurant permission to use the smoker in an on-street parking space for another year. Council members Michael DeLeone, John Kuhar, Heidi Shaffer and Tracy Wallach voted against approving the permit.

The narrow vote came just two weeks after Wallach cast during a committee meeting.

"When this originally came to council, my biggest concern was the availability of a free parking space for a business," Kuhar said. "Last Friday I drove down Water Street, and I could smell the smoke when I crossed Main (Street). Why should a person have to smell that?"

The council members who voted against reissuing the smoker permit suggested the restaurant find another place downtown for it where it won't have as direct an effect on neighboring businesses.

"The smoker not being there is not going to impact the menu of Cajun Dave’s," Wallach said. "The issue is where the smoker is currently, not having it downtown. If it could be placed someplace else … Home Savings Plaza or somewhere else ... I cannot possibly support it until the smoke issues are dealt with."

Concerns about the smoke and how it may affect surrounding trees, business facades and customers became the primary issue at council's May 4 meeting. It also became apparent then that part of the issue is simply a conflict between the owners of Cajun Dave's, Brian Bower and Mike Beder, and neighboring businesses and , which are owned by Sue Nelson and Carl Picelle respectively.

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala said he told all the business owners at the May 4 meeting that he would sit down with them to try and work out a compromise.

"And none of the three (businesses) have contacted me," Fiala said.

A condition of the permit renewal is that council will review the issue again in six months.

"I think we made it pretty clear to the interested parties down there that if they don’t resolve it amongst themselves amicably, that we will take back the permit to allow them to do it," Councilman Garret Ferrara said.