Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Varohamiltonrow Outdoor Dining topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Varo seeks outdoor seating on Hamilton Row; board urges sidewalk tables or clearer plans
Summary
Varo representatives told the Birmingham Planning Board May 14 they hope to add an outdoor dining area at 283 Hamilton Row; the board encouraged the applicant to show exact parking spaces and consider placing a small number of tables on the wide sidewalk rather than building a street-deck.
Varo, a fast-casual butcher-sandwich shop that opened on Hamilton Row in December, presented a pre-application for an outdoor dining platform at 283 Hamilton Row on May 14.
The applicant (Pauline, Varo’s vice president of operations) joined on Zoom and said the revised concept would take one parking space and an adjacent maneuvering area (an 'X' on the city plan) and initially could be reduced to approximately 12–20 seats. She said the business was open daytime hours (roughly 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a possible 7 p.m. summer close) and is seeking a low-cost way to increase visibility and serve customers outdoors.
Board members told the applicant to clarify exactly which parking space and adjacent ‘X’ (no-parking area) the platform would occupy, to coordinate with engineering about curb and maneuvering clearance, and to include any nearby approved decks on the aerial exhibit so the board can assess cumulative impacts. Several members recommended the applicant first try placing tables on the wide sidewalk as a lower-cost, lower-risk option rather than immediately pursuing a street deck that would remove parking.
Staff offered to review a quick concept showing sidewalk tables with the applicant before the next meeting so the board could provide early feedback without the applicant incurring design costs for a full street-deck submission.
