Zoning Board approves variance for Jake’s Wayback Burgers

In what one trustee described as a “tough” decision, The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a variance last Thursday that paves the way for a Jake’s Wayback Burgers to operate on the corner of West Beech Street and Tennessee Avenue.

The decision comes after Tennessee Avenue residents circulated a petition that generated nearly 100 signatures opposing the franchise, saying that the business would create traffic, parking and quality-of-life issues and hurt the character of the community. Many other residents maintained that the new business would be a boon to the West End, create jobs and help fill a long-vacant storefront during tough economic times.

At its April 28 meeting, the seven-member board approved a request for a mixed-use and off-street parking variance submitted by West End resident Jonathan Saporta, president of Saporta Consulting Group Inc., after he filed an application for the vacant property at 945 W. Beech St. last month, which he intends to purchase.

The trustees granted the variance, albeit with conditions that Saporta follow through with his promise to install state-of-the-art technology that would efficiently dispose of grease; that the business would include a filtration system that eliminates odors and a garbage enclosure that does not impact neighbors, among other efforts to minimize the business’s impact on the community.

Saporta, 31, told residents at the West End Neighbors Civic Association meeting the previous night that he would be a hands-on owner and wants to get involved in the community. He said that his Jake’s would be open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. seven days a week and accommodate roughly 70 to 80 customers at a time.