Commission approves 900 Locust Avenue restaurant addition with amended fencing and glazing conditions

The Historic District Commission on Aug. 25 approved a certificate of appropriateness for remodeling an existing building and constructing a 2,245‑square‑foot addition for a restaurant at 900 Locust Avenue in the Old Conway Design Overlay District, with amended conditions addressing fencing transparency and glazing.

Planning staff described the project as urban‑zone C‑1 work that meets articulation and material standards but flagged several site requirements the applicant must meet, including maintaining and repairing the sidewalk, keeping the metal awning at least eight feet above the sidewalk, meeting first‑story glazing standards, and screening mechanical equipment.

The commission added a mandatory site development review to the staff recommendations and later approved the project with a motion that struck staff recommendation number 6 and changed recommendation number 10 to require fencing transparency percentages for the western portion to be submitted to planning staff for review prior to issuance of a certificate of appropriateness.

An applicant representative (Bernard, applicant) described plans for significant patios and outdoor seating, coordination with city departments about a rumored future roundabout at the corner, and asked the commission to allow an opaque masonry fence on the north side between the patio and a small employee/back‑of‑house area. Bernard said the masonry fence would address odors, sight and smell from the dumpster and walk‑in cooler area and asked to allow some window tinting because "the sun beats down in the evening on that facade" and previous tenants had installed tinting to reduce heat.

Tara, planning staff, explained that the urban zone requires 80% of a building facade to be within three feet of property lines, that first‑story glazing transparency standards apply (staff cited the 85% transparency guideline for the brick facade), and that dumpster and grease disposal adjacent to the alley must meet screening standards. Staff also said the mechanical equipment was not shown on the site plan and must be screened.

Commissioners asked staff whether allowing some tinting or an opaque portion on the north fence would create precedent; staff said permitting tinting and limited opaque fencing had been approved in some past cases and that the requested changes could be reviewed during site development review without creating undue procedural hurdles. The commission therefore amended staff recommendations to allow the requested adjustments subject to the amended language.

Jenny Davis moved to add the mandatory site development review to the recommendations; the commission approved that addition. Later, a motion to accept the recommendations with the stated amendments passed by voice vote.

The commission’s action is limited to design and overlay standards in the Old Conway Design Overlay District; allowances for tinting and fencing were approved as adjustments to staff recommendations and will be finalized in site development review and building permitting.