Date: October 20, 2016
To: Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals
From: Scott Tempel, City Planner
Title
Resolution - 301 Water Street Variance
Body
Action Requested:
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is asked to consider a variance request from the two story minimum building height requirement in the C1 zone district for a project at 301 Water Street.
Summary Report:
The City of Northfield acquired 219 Water Street South in December of 2013 to facilitate future redevelopment opportunities in this area. The existing commercial structure was demolished in 2014 and the vacant parcel is available for redevelopment. Following the demolition of this structure, city staff was approached by the owner of Basil's Pizza with a proposal to build a pergola for outdoor seating at Basil's Pizza. In April of 2015, staff met with representatives from Basil's Pizza at which time they were asked to develop a preliminary site plan.
A preliminary site plan with a pergola and outdoor dining area was provided to staff and presented the City Council on November 10, 2015. The City Council was asked if this concept was something they would like to see move forward. The Council provided general support for the concept but recommended that the developer consider other alternatives to incorporate the river in the design. It was also recommended that the city utilize the remainder of the parcel to maximize the riverfront.
Since that time, Basil's Pizza has decided to invest in a significantly more substantial project.
The current proposal now consists of an 18' wide by 50' long addition on the north side of the building to expand the indoor seating for the restaurant. The addition will be wrapped in large windows and includes fa?ade treatments to integrate it to the existing building. The applicant is seeking a variance to the dimensional standards which require that the minimum building height in the C1 Zoning District be two stories.
There are several reasons why it ...
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