Design Review Board clears Abbey Casita bar's courtyard plan at 1439 Alton Road; variance moved to Board of Adjustment

The Design Review Board approved design-review modifications for a proposed bar and courtyard at 1439 Alton Road on a 4-0 vote, while a related variance on distance-separation and operational conditions was removed from the DRB packet and will be handled by the Board of Adjustment.

City staff told the board the application proposes conversion of a rear building into a bar with a redesigned courtyard at the rear of the property. Because the ordinance assigns jurisdiction for distance-separation variances to the Board of Adjustment, staff removed the variance from the DRB application; staff recommended the design elements and landscape changes and asked that operational conditions tied to the variance be transferred to BOA review.

Attorney Ian Bechaykov presented for Abbey Casita LLC and said the business is relocating from a nearby longtime location. He said owners reduced the proposed exterior seating after further review. "We would only be proposing 20 seats in the exterior, courtyard garden area," Bechaykov said, adding the overall design is intended as a low-key, garden-like space aimed at neighborhood patrons, not a high-volume tourist destination. Owner Ray (Ray Fort) and co-owner Maritza described the concept as a "sanctuary" and cited neighborhood clientele including nearby hospital workers.

The proposal calls for conversion of an existing paved rear area into a landscaped courtyard with canopy trees, a five-foot landscape buffer and a metal picket fence separating the courtyard from an alley and adjacent single-family properties. The applicants said they will provide an ADA route, three employee parking spaces in the rear (one ADA) and upgrade an existing dumpster enclosure that is shared with the front-of-house tenant.

Staff and board members discussed landscape and public-works details. Staff required a landscape architect to produce final planting plans that meet city resiliency criteria (salt-tolerant native species and irrigation). A board member flagged visibility/triangle concerns where an existing dumpster currently blocks sightlines into the alley; the applicant agreed to work with staff and public-works reviewers to resolve sight-triangle and right-of-way issues. The proposed landscape planter sizes were noted as small on the initial submittal; the applicant agreed to enlarge planting pits and add irrigation in the final plan.

The board moved to approve the design-review application with the conditions described in the draft order (excluding variance-related operational conditions) and administrative edits to remove variance sections. The motion passed 4-0. The removed variance and operational conditions will be considered at the Board of Adjustment; staff will revise the draft order to reflect design-only approval and to transfer variance-related conditions to the BOA agenda.

No members of the public testified in opposition during the DRB hearing. The applicant invited board members to their opening once permits are finalized.