Planning commission approves reopening of Julius' Castle with neighborhood conditions

The Planning Commission on July 6 approved a conditional‑use authorization and associated variance that will allow the historic Julius' Castle at 302 Greenwich Street to reopen as a restaurant, subject to conditions intended to limit neighborhood impacts.

Paul Scott, the property owner and applicant, told commissioners he bought the long‑vacant landmark to restore the restaurant use and preserve the building. Planning staff recommended approval with conditions including restricted hours, a required operations plan, a ban on amplified live entertainment, and a six‑month performance update after the restaurant opens. Scott said he had worked with neighborhood representatives to draft measures addressing traffic, parking and noise and committed to hiring a reputable operator once the permit was secured.

Neighborhood speakers attending the hearing voiced strong concerns about traffic, valet operations, parking, noise and late‑night servicing. John Lee, a nearby resident, said the staff report underestimates likely traffic and noise impacts and urged denial or further study. Former Julius' Castle operator Jeffrey Pollock, who ran the restaurant for 27 years, told the commission he used valet parking and neighborhood agreements to control curb impacts and urged the commission to allow reopening under strict conditions.

Commission discussion focused on enforceable mitigation: commissioners pressed the applicant to include delivery and trash schedules, tighter valet controls and enforceable trash pickup hours. Commissioners agreed that some operational practices — for example, delivery timing and private neighborhood agreements — may not be fully enforceable by planning staff but are important to minimize impacts. The commission added explicit conditions to the draft staff motion: deliveries must occur between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.; garbage pickup is prohibited earlier than 6:30 a.m.; the operator must submit an operations plan and the commission will hold a mandatory follow‑up hearing six months after the restaurant begins operations to evaluate compliance and neighborhood impacts.

On the motion to approve the conditional use with the amended conditions, the commission voted 7–0. Commissioners repeatedly urged the applicant to select an experienced operator and to continue neighborhood engagement. The zoning administrator will consider the variance request under advisement.

Next steps: the applicant must submit the required operations documentation and satisfy conditions before receiving final permits. The six‑month review will give the commission an opportunity to revisit any unanticipated problems or to require further mitigation.

Quotations used in this story come from the hearing transcript and are attributed to speakers who addressed the commission during the July 6 hearing.