Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Design Review Board clears Chutney Express rear storage enclosure with conditions
Loading...
Summary
The board approved a three-sided masonry enclosure at Chutney Express to conceal outdoor storage and dumpsters, with conditions that cap height, match building materials, and keep storage contents contained below the top of the brick wall; the vote was 5-0.
The Design Review Board on April 25 approved a three-sided masonry enclosure at Chutney Express intended to screen outdoor storage and dumpsters behind the storefront, a project driven by code-enforcement concerns about outdoor containers and open gates.
Brett Schroeder, staff, presented the proposal when the applicant did not attend; Schroeder asked the board to consider a masonry surround that matches the building’s existing brick and stone base and to require that storage remain wholly contained within the new enclosure. Schroeder said the landlord provided a letter agreeing there will be no future expansions into adjacent areas without additional approvals and that the applicant has permission to remove a failing tree at the site.
The board approved the work on a 5-0 vote with conditions: the new wall must be built to the same depth as the existing rear wall so the enclosure reads as part of the building; materials for the stone base must match the building; the door color on the building will remain the present beige; any storage or equipment inside the enclosure may not extend above the top of the new brick walls; and the top of the enclosure must be finished with the same prefinished bronze cap/trim used on the building parapet. The board also directed that pilaster/column elements remain visually consistent with the building storefront and that the stone water table be carried through so the enclosure looks integral to the original construction.
Schroeder told the board that code enforcement had flagged on-site storage containers and open gates and that screening would address both visual and code concerns. He said staff had discussed the option of a walk-in cooler or dry storage inside the enclosure; the board required that any roof or projection remain beneath the top of the brick wall and that downspouts or scuppers be addressed in the building permit drawings. “The only thing you can do would be to build a surround, to match the building, and hide all that stuff,” Schroeder said in explanation of staff’s recommendation.
The applicant did not provide material samples at the hearing; staff and the applicant agreed more detailed material samples and dimensioned drawings will be provided to planning staff for plan-review review. The motion to approve, moved by a board member and seconded, passed 5-0.
What’s next: The applicant or landlord must submit dimensioned plans and material samples showing the stone base, brick bonding, bronze-capped coping and any roof details before building permits for the enclosure can be issued. Staff will coordinate plan review and verify that the enclosure contains all storage below the top of the new masonry walls.
