Highland City Council gives thumbs up to proposed coffee shop with gaming room
Another lengthy discussion of Molly’s Mochas ended with a 3-2 vote in favor of the proposed coffee shop with gaming room in Highland.
Highland residents Dustin and Laura Barry had applied for a D2 liquor license to open Molly’s Mochas at 916 Sixth St., the site of a former convenience store that had been vacant for at least 10 years. They plan a $100,000 renovation to create a coffee bistro with sandwiches, soups and salads as well as baked goods and ice cream.
The restaurant will sell wine and liquor, and will include a separate gaming section in an addition onto the building with six gaming machines.
The council had concerns about the proposal when it came before them in early November, citing concerns about parking and whether the majority of its income would come from gaming. The council had voted to table the project for two weeks.
In the interim, councilman John Hipskind said he had seen projections that alleviated some of his concerns, pointing out the building is just sitting vacant.
Councilwoman Peggy Bellm, however, said she still has concerns about the project. It is zoned commercial, but is near a residential neighborhood, she said.
“I don’t want to be called at 11 o’clock at night because there’s cars all over it and people are making noise,” she said. “If I could be assured it was closing at, say, 10 p.m., I’d feel a lot better about that.”
Councilman Richard Frey, who was unable to attend the earlier meeting, also said he had reservations.
“We all appreciate the idea, there’s no question about that,” he said. “The question was, is this really a gaming parlor or is it a restaurant? I have nothing against gaming parlors ... Our issue here is we’re setting a precedent for the future on where that fine line is, and we have to be very careful on that fine line.”
Bellm suggested amending the approval to require meeting certain requirements, such as the parking. It failed to pass after Mayor Joe Michaelis broke the tie, stating Molly’s Mochas would have to meet all those requirements anyway to get through the planning commission.
In the end, Frey and Bellm voted no and Hipskind and councilwoman Sarah Sloan voted yes, with Michaelis breaking the tie in favor of approval.
The Barrys have said they hope to be open by early spring, barring further delays.
City hall update
In other news: Due to the rising COVID-19 numbers, Highland City Hall is open by appointment only, effective Nov. 17 until further notice. Anyone who needs to transact business with Highland city leaders should visit the online citizen portal and post their question, and a city staff member will get in contact with them.
Residents can also call 618-654-9891 to make an appointment. Payments will be accepted in the night deposit slot located in the rear of city hall.