Phillip Moncure said he would bring his proposal for an Internet café back to city council after three of its members Tuesday night found it not to be in harmony with other businesses on Premier Boulevard.

The harmony factor is one council must check off on when deliberating issuing a conditional use permit.

City staff made findings the proposal met all conditions that would lead to the issuance of a conditional use permit.

In its deliberation of the matter, council had checked off that all other factors in the proposal were OK. When it came to the part on if it would be harmony with the area, three — Suetta Scarbrough, Ernest Bobbitt and Carl Ferebee — believed it would not be in harmony with the rest of the area.

That consensus, City Attorney Gilbert Chichester said, effectively ended discussion of the matter.

“I’m going to call each one of the council members,” Moncure said in a telephone interview this morning.

Moncure said if it was concerns some council members had about it being a modular building, which would be located between the car wash and the Halifax County Visitors Center, he could change that. “I can brick it up. I’m going to put up an attractive building. I’m just in shock. (Planning and Development Director) Kelly (Lasky) gave a recommendation it was in harmony, it met all the rules and regulations.”

Moncure said the building would be low to the ground. “When all is said and done I can either brick it or stone it. It will look like a stick built building. I will try to get something drawn up. I was flabbergasted. There was nothing negative, no public complaints.”

Across the state, Internet cafes have not been without controversy, but a three-judge panel, has ruled they are legal and here to stay, Moncure said. “How could it not be in harmony? Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it.”

A competitor operates an Internet café in the former Curves building in Premier Landing. “The city allowed them to get more computers. The competition has been there for two years.”

Moncure said he plans to have a drawing done to show council how the building will look as well as get more facts together.

Only one person, Roy Edmonds, spoke at a public hearing on the matter. “I visited one of the Internet cafes,” he said, specifically the one in the Oakland Shopping Plaza. “It reminded me of quiet time at the library. It’s like you’re sitting at your computer at home.”

Police Chief Jeff Hinton said calls to the cafes in the city have subsided.

Michael Dunlow, who described himself as the landlord, said there are covenants in Premier Landing, which developers must adhere to.

Plans call for the facility to be built in two phases. The first phase is a 1,568 square-foot building, which will have up to 40 computers, and employ six or seven people. The second phase consists of an addition of another 1,568 square feet and up to 40 computers.

Council left the matter open, which would allow Moncure to come back instead of having to wait a year to re-file the permit.