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Board clears way for Dogtown Tavern restoration, allows gravel parking and 0 setbacks to restore longtime establishment
Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals on June 18 approved variances permitting a revival of the historic Dogtown Tavern at 6201 Old Henderson Road, including 0-foot front/side setbacks and gravel parking in place of required green space and pavement. Vote was 6-0.
The Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously (6-0) on June 18 to grant variances that will allow restoration and phased reopening of the century-plus-old Dogtown Tavern at 6201 Old Henderson Road.
Petitioners asked the board to relax front-yard and side-yard green-space requirements (requesting 0-foot green-space in locations where the code requires setbacks) and to permit gravel parking in lieu of paved parking. The applicant described a two-phase plan: phase one to open a bar and wraparound outdoor patio with limited prepackaged food service and an accessible route, and phase two to install a full kitchen and interior dining.
Matt Layman of R. Layman & Son Consulting, the applicant—s representative, said the building has been largely intact and that renovating it is intended to reactivate a long-standing community asset. Local historian John Carle and others in the record described Dogtown as a longstanding neighborhood center dating to the 1880s; the applicant cited flood and maintenance concerns and the rural character of the road as reasons gravel parking and flexible curb access are appropriate for this site.
The board discussed the site—s context: the property sits in a low-lying area subject to river-related flooding and farm-equipment traffic that routinely uses the roadway and informal pullouts. The applicant—s team said paving or fixed curbs would be repeatedly damaged by flood action and heavy farm vehicles and would complicate reuse. The applicant also noted that the plan will use bumper blocks and other on-site measures to delineate parking and drive aisles.
Board members and staff noted strong neighborhood support submitted with the application and noted the property—s historic character. Several members said they were comfortable granting the variances given the cultural/heritage interest, the practical limitations posed by flooding, and the applicant—s proposed limited phased program.
The board—s action permits the project to proceed as proposed; the decision as recorded does not impose unusual additional conditions beyond the usual requirement that any future changes comply with building and health codes and that the applicant follow any county or state requirements governing historic properties, plumbing and sanitation for food service.
