Hookah lounge denied rezoning bid near LSU amid neighbor complaints

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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A hookah lounge on West Chimes Street near LSU’s campus was denied a rezoning application that would have allowed it to pursue an alcohol license. This comes after residents and a neighboring business owner spoke out against the request at a city planning and zoning commission meeting.

Kwane Douglas, business manager of the Lotus, said the lounge applied to be rezoned in order to then apply for an alcohol license.

What the Lotus proposed

Douglas said the Lotus typically offers open mic nights, poetry, games, and live music. He said the goal was to expand the lounge’s offerings.

“We wanted to be able to serve daiquiris and light beer and wine as part of the hookah experience here at the Lotus,” Douglas said.

Residents push back
When Douglas presented the plan to the city’s planning and zoning commission, nearby residents testified in opposition.

“I can tell you that there is no music, poetry, or art going on at the Lotus. There’s also the smell of weed; I don’t want to go out in my parking lot and smell weed so strong that I feel like I’m going to pass out,” said neighbor Hannah Urdea.

Another resident, Jan Anderson, said the lounge already had a pattern of disruptive behavior.

“Lotus is not trying to be a quiet neighborhood poetry bar. They already have a pattern of excessive, disrespectful, loud behavior during the week and on the weekends until four in the morning,” Anderson said.

Neighboring bar owner testifies against application
Douglas said he was surprised when the owner of Murphy’s, a nearby bar on the same street, also testified against the application.

Murphy’s owner Ty Hingle testified that parties at the Lotus were advertised to run from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. and described late-night disturbances near his business.

“There is, in the middle of the street, constant twerking against my staff’s vehicles. My manager has sent me videos at 3:00 in the morning when they’re done cleaning up, of loud music,” Hingle said.

Douglas said Murphy’s is equally responsible for issues on the street. Murphy’s management did not respond to a request for comment.

Commission denies application
In a statement, Mason Batts, a member of the planning commission, said resident testimony influenced the decision and that he was not convinced the Lotus is being, in his words, “managed responsibly enough.”

Full statement -

“I voted to deny the zoning request, joining the unanimous vote of the Planning and Zoning Commission, because nearby residents testified that the current operation was already producing excessive noise and disturbances as late as 4 or 5 in the morning, interfering with their ability to sleep, study and feel safe in their own neighborhood.

We also heard concerns about the business’s social-media posts, which appeared to show late-night events, that often spilled out into the street, and alcohol on the premises before the business had the proper authorization.

Based on that testimony, I was not convinced that the current operation was being managed responsibly enough to justify entrusting the business with a substantially more intensive and potentially higher-risk bar-and-lounge alcohol zoning classification."

The Lotus has seen patrons speak out in support of the lounge since the zoning application was denied. Douglas said the opposition felt personal.

“It was a hard blow to take, especially not being prepared for somebody who I thought was an ally to stab me in the back,” Douglas said.

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