The proprietor of a planned upscale bowling alley in Buckhead has won his fight against the Miami Circle Merchants Association. In what's become a publicized squabble, the merchants association launched a website and dotted the business district off Piedmont Road with protest signs in an effort to stop The Painted Pin, a boutique bowling alley, from opening. Patch reports the Atlanta Board of Zoning Adjustments on Thursday rejected an appeal to reverse a Special Administrative Permit (SAP), clearing the way for the business. Complaints by neighboring businesses have hinged on what some perceive as a dearth of parking; the 24,000 square-foot facility will have 45 dedicated parking spaces.
Justin Amick, The Painted Pin's principal and founder, insists the parking is sufficient because free valet will be offered. After the meeting, Amick didn't mince words in a news release: "There has been a lot of incorrect and irrelevant information released about The Painted Pin from a very small group of vocal leaders of the MCMA (Miami Circle Merchants Association) … This is simply an issue of traditionalists trying to control the types of businesses that land on their street veiled as a parking issue." The Painted Pin expects to break ground immediately, with an opening slated for early Spring next year.
· Miami Circle Merchants Lose Appeal Against The Painted Pin [Patch]
· The opposition's website [no-pp.com]
[ABOVE: Protest sign photo: CBS Atlanta]