At the July 23 P&Z meeting, the commission approved, with conditions, a 210 seat restaurant that will include 60 outdoor seasonal dining seats, and 150 indoor that include 10 at the bar, plus 8 at a seafood counter.
The location of the property is 1-3 Greenwich Avenue, which is the ground floor space of Building 3 of Pickwick Plaza.
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The vote followed multiple discussions during previous P&Z meetings where commissioners were concerned patrons would park on Greenwich Avenue rather in the lower level, free garage parking at Pickwick Plaza.
Commissioner Nick Macri described the application as "woefully incomplete" for the standards set by the commission. He said the floor plans were not to scale and the signage was insufficient.
The proposal was that the outdoor dining seats would not be shifted indoors and would be limited to the outdoor dining season.
The applicant is required to submit an administrative application annually for their seasonal outdoor dining.
Given elevator for the parking garage accesses building 3, there will be two host stations in the restaurant – one for customers accessing the restaurant from the elevator lobby and a second for customers entering from Greenwich Avenue.
The garage parking was deemed sufficient as there are 801 parking spaces there. The applicant had provided data for parking use with an average of 400 available spaces available during business days.
It was noted that the applicant had offered to limit special events to 100 people on weekdays and requested that no limits be applied for special events on weekends.
At all times indoor occupancy would be limited to 150 people.
In her motion to approve, P&Z chair Margarita Alban said said the availability of garage parking would be made highly visible and easily accessible to restaurant customers, and that the customer garage usage can and should be encouraged with wayfinding signage, marketing communications, valet parking service and general ease of access from the garage to the restaurant.
There were more than a dozen conditions of the approval, including that prior to zoning permit the applicant demonstrate that the 2 hosting stations have at least equal prominence, and greater prominence for the station by the elevator lobby was encouraged.
Prior to TCO, the applicant is required to develop and obtain ARC and staff sign-off for exterior signage to indicate garage access and availability at no charge for restaurant customers.
Also, prior to TCO develop and obtain staff sign-off for a full wayfinding signage program for within the garage.
Also to provide 2 parking valets during lunch for the first 6 months of operation, and subsequently review with staff and gain approval for the plan going forward.
Another condition was to provide at least one parking valet during dinner service for the first year of operation, then review with staff afterward and decide on a plan going forward.
Further the applicant is required to ensure that all customer communications clearly indicate the availability of and access to garage parking.
Hold no events of more than 50 people during weekday lunch hours.
Hold no night events of more than 100 people during the first year of operation, condition to modified subsequently, subject to staff approval.
Permanently limit customer restaurant indoor customer capacity to 150.
Require all employees to park in the garage.
Continue to encourage the general public to utilize the garage on a paying basis during the hours/days when surface spaces are generally available.
Submit to and appear before ARC as required by regs.
Address all other staff and departmental comments.
The motion suggested the applicant consider listing the restaurant address as 3 Pickwick Plaza rather than 1-3 Greenwich Avenue as this would encourage customers to orient away from parking on Greenwich Avenue.
As the commission prepared to vote, Mr. Macri urged that the applicant have the commission review final signage, not P&Z staff.
"We have specific site plan and application standards that I do not believe at all have been met in this application," Macri said. "This is an incomplete application in my mind."
Dennis Yeskey asked the motion be amended to "beef up" requirements about marketing to encourage that communications about garage parking via the website and announcements, and event invitations, as well as ongoing marketing and advertising.
As for Mr. Macri's concerns, Ms Alban suggested a compromise, in which the approval letter state that if staff had concerns on signage, that they return to the commission as a discussion item.
Mr. Yeskey asked the website design, invitations and ads be shown to the commission after the applicant worked with staff.
Town Planner Patrick LaRow said that was plausible.
Peter Levy said the signage on East Putnam Ave was critical. "It's not well announced. It's an odd entry to the building. There's nothing formally announcing it."
"If this whole thing goes sideways, the top of the Avenue could end up a disaster," Macri warned.
Ms Alban replied, "We are asking more of them than we might have if the applicant had been more forthcoming."
"You're correct but it's after the fact," Macri said.
Mr. LaRow said the restaurant wouldn't be able to open without a certificate of occupancy.
After discussion, the motion was changed to say that before zoning permit is issued the the applicant be required to return to the commission even if staff did have no issues with either signage or communications.
They also added a condition that the applicant provide a report after six months with data on garage parking utilization.
Voting in favor of the motion on the application were Peter Levy, Dennis Yeskey, Arn Welles, and Margarita Alban.
Mr. Macri voted no.
The motion passed 4-1.
See also:
P&Z Vote Anticipated for 210-Seat Restaurant with Free Parking in Pickwick Plaza Garage July 13, 2024
The vote followed multiple discussions during previous P&Z meetings where commissioners were concerned patrons would park on Greenwich Avenue rather in the lower level, free garage parking at Pickwick Plaza.
Commissioner Nick Macri described the application as "woefully incomplete" for the standards set by the commission. He said the floor plans were not to scale and the signage was insufficient.
The proposal was that the outdoor dining seats would not be shifted indoors and would be limited to the outdoor dining season.
The applicant is required to submit an administrative application annually for their seasonal outdoor dining.
Given elevator for the parking garage accesses building 3, there will be two host stations in the restaurant – one for customers accessing the restaurant from the elevator lobby and a second for customers entering from Greenwich Avenue.
The garage parking was deemed sufficient as there are 801 parking spaces there. The applicant had provided data for parking use with an average of 400 available spaces available during business days.
It was noted that the applicant had offered to limit special events to 100 people on weekdays and requested that no limits be applied for special events on weekends.
At all times indoor occupancy would be limited to 150 people.
In her motion to approve, P&Z chair Margarita Alban said said the availability of garage parking would be made highly visible and easily accessible to restaurant customers, and that the customer garage usage can and should be encouraged with wayfinding signage, marketing communications, valet parking service and general ease of access from the garage to the restaurant.
There were more than a dozen conditions of the approval, including that prior to zoning permit the applicant demonstrate that the 2 hosting stations have at least equal prominence, and greater prominence for the station by the elevator lobby was encouraged.
Prior to TCO, the applicant is required to develop and obtain ARC and staff sign-off for exterior signage to indicate garage access and availability at no charge for restaurant customers.
Also, prior to TCO develop and obtain staff sign-off for a full wayfinding signage program for within the garage.
Also to provide 2 parking valets during lunch for the first 6 months of operation, and subsequently review with staff and gain approval for the plan going forward.
Another condition was to provide at least one parking valet during dinner service for the first year of operation, then review with staff afterward and decide on a plan going forward.
Further the applicant is required to ensure that all customer communications clearly indicate the availability of and access to garage parking.
Hold no events of more than 50 people during weekday lunch hours.
Hold no night events of more than 100 people during the first year of operation, condition to modified subsequently, subject to staff approval.
Permanently limit customer restaurant indoor customer capacity to 150.
Require all employees to park in the garage.
Continue to encourage the general public to utilize the garage on a paying basis during the hours/days when surface spaces are generally available.
Submit to and appear before ARC as required by regs.
Address all other staff and departmental comments.
The motion suggested the applicant consider listing the restaurant address as 3 Pickwick Plaza rather than 1-3 Greenwich Avenue as this would encourage customers to orient away from parking on Greenwich Avenue.
As the commission prepared to vote, Mr. Macri urged that the applicant have the commission review final signage, not P&Z staff.
"We have specific site plan and application standards that I do not believe at all have been met in this application," Macri said. "This is an incomplete application in my mind."
Dennis Yeskey asked the motion be amended to "beef up" requirements about marketing to encourage that communications about garage parking via the website and announcements, and event invitations, as well as ongoing marketing and advertising.
As for Mr. Macri's concerns, Ms Alban suggested a compromise, in which the approval letter state that if staff had concerns on signage, that they return to the commission as a discussion item.
Mr. Yeskey asked the website design, invitations and ads be shown to the commission after the applicant worked with staff.
Town Planner Patrick LaRow said that was plausible.
Peter Levy said the signage on East Putnam Ave was critical. "It's not well announced. It's an odd entry to the building. There's nothing formally announcing it."
"If this whole thing goes sideways, the top of the Avenue could end up a disaster," Macri warned.
Ms Alban replied, "We are asking more of them than we might have if the applicant had been more forthcoming."
"You're correct but it's after the fact," Macri said.
Mr. LaRow said the restaurant wouldn't be able to open without a certificate of occupancy.
After discussion, the motion was changed to say that before zoning permit is issued the the applicant be required to return to the commission even if staff did have no issues with either signage or communications.
They also added a condition that the applicant provide a report after six months with data on garage parking utilization.
Voting in favor of the motion on the application were Peter Levy, Dennis Yeskey, Arn Welles, and Margarita Alban.
Mr. Macri voted no.
The motion passed 4-1.
See also:
P&Z Vote Anticipated for 210-Seat Restaurant with Free Parking in Pickwick Plaza Garage July 13, 2024