Planning board recommends approval for new Hamilton Row restaurant with conditions on patio, signage and liquor review

The Birmingham Planning Board on Aug. 27 recommended that the City Commission approve a special land use permit and approved final site plan and design review for a new restaurant called Number 28 at 211 Hamilton Row (Unit 28) in the Palladium building. The proposal calls for interior renovations, a 12-seat outdoor dining patio (about 200 square feet) and on-premises sale of alcohol; the planning board attached conditions addressing pedestrian access, signage, outdoor service and a liquor-license verification.

The action matters because the block on Hamilton Row has a long history of alcohol-serving venues and the proposal sits at a busy pedestrian pinch point near a movie theater and other downtown uses. Board members pressed the applicant and staff on sidewalk clearance, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerns and how the restaurant’s late-night hours could affect downtown activity and safety.

Planning staff presented the project and recommended the board forward the special land use permit and site plan to the City Commission subject to conditions. Nick Dupuy of the Planning Division said the application proposes no changes to the building footprint and that most work is interior plus the new exterior patio. “The planning department recommends that the planning board recommend that the city commission approve the special land use permit … subject to the following conditions,” Dupuy said, listing requirements to preserve a five-foot clear pedestrian path, provide signage…