Plan Commission approves exterior design variance for Hangar Bar addition

The Oshkosh City Plan Commission voted 8-0 on Feb. 4 to adopt the findings and recommendations in the staff report and approve an exterior design standards variance for a building addition at 1485 West 20th Avenue.

Planning staff told the commission the subject site is a 1.55-acre lot on the south side of West 20th Avenue, east of South Park Avenue, and houses a restaurant currently known on the record as The Hangar Bar and Grill. A canopy installed in 2022 was later enclosed with garage-style doors and a new interior bar, which staff determined constituted a building addition requiring a design-standards variance because the addition was sided with corrugated metal that does not match the existing decorative concrete block facade.

The applicant’s representative said the corrugated metal was selected to match an aircraft-hangar theme. Susan Hirshberg of RH Design Build said the material choice was intentional to reflect the establishment’s motif. Lisa Marshall, owner of The Hangar, described enclosing the patio as a security measure after repeated break-ins and vandalism: “We had problems with homeless actually breaking into this space and occupying the space,” she said, and added the owners installed the garage doors to limit intrusion.

Staff recommended approval, noting the addition is at the back of the building and largely out of public view, and that the canopy-style enclosure can be opened with garage doors on warm days. Planning staff also advised that any required building, plumbing or trade permits still must be obtained.

Following a brief commission discussion and no public opposition, the commission adopted the staff findings and recommendations by roll call, 8-0.