Julie Graybill

Faubourg Marengo Neighborhood Association

Dear Miss Graybill,

It is with great pleasure that I recommend that you support Second Vine Wines in their pursuit of a Conditional Use to sell packaged liquor at their new location. Louis and Troy asked for (and received) a Conditional Use to open a location in the Marigny in December, 2013. Not only did the neighborhood get a high end, well run business, we were blessed with two owners that quickly embraced the neighborhood and became a part of our culture.

Troy joined the FMIA Board, where he served as Treasurer, and became a vital member of our Board. Second Vine served as a stop on our Home Tour, where they hosted a book signing and had wine samples available for our guests. They also let neighbors constantly use their back rooms for small meetings. Whenever we had an issue coming up at CPC or City Council, we could have a small meeting in the back room with the neighbors, and have some wine as we discussed the issues and made our plans. Second Vine embraced the FMIA, and we embraced them back.

Additionally, Second Vine became the place to be during election season. It seemed that every week there were two or three candidates coming to the store for Meet and Greets. This didn’t just happen during election season either, as Councilmember Palmer held a Cocktails with Kristin event there last year. Troy and Louis valued their role as a community hub where neighbors could come and be politically engaged, as well as have the candidates hear the concerns of our neighborhood.

And, finally, Second Vine took a block of Touro that “had seen better days” and brought it back to life. Now that they’ve left, we miss them and wonder what will go there next. The Marigny’s loss is your gain. We highly recommend that you support their Conditional Use application.

Sincerely,

Allen Johnson

President