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South Russell planning panel conditionally approves restaurant at 506 E. Washington pending revised parking plan
Summary
The South Russell Village Planning Commission gave conditional approval to a proposed restaurant at 506 East Washington Street but required a revised parking plan to resolve overlapping spaces with a neighboring steakhouse and to clarify church-leased parking terms.
The South Russell Village Planning Commission voted to conditionally approve a proposed restaurant at 506 East Washington Street on Dec. 11, 2025, but required the applicant to submit an amended parking plan that resolves overlap with a neighboring steakhouse and clarifies which spaces are covered by a church lease.
Joe Paul Franzese of JPF Architects, representing applicant Greg McBride, described plans to convert the currently vacant building into a dining and bar venue with a greenhouse addition, skylights, fireplaces, a wine room for tasting events, and exterior changes including larger windows and copper trim. Franzese said the venue would provide limited food service and alcohol (whiskey, wine and some beer).
A member of the public raised parking as the central issue: "My concern or question revolves around parking," the attendee said, pointing to a one-year lease the applicant has with a nearby church to use its lot. That attendee noted the lease allows either party to cancel with notice and asked what would happen to required parking if the lease were not renewed.
Staff and commissioners reviewed seating and parking counts during the meeting. Staff reported the proposed venue would seat roughly 56 people, which they said would require about 29 spaces under applicable standards; staff then reported a count of 38 on-site spaces and additional shared spaces in the church lot. Commissioners said the contracts on record appear to reserve some of the same stalls for the applicant and for the nearby steak restaurant, creating a potential conflict.
Commissioners discussed options including demarcating specific stalls, coordinating valet services, and requiring a documented, non-conflicting parking plan that would remain in force as a condition of occupancy. One commissioner moved to approve the conditional use permit "subject to a revised parking plan showing parking different than steak," and the motion was seconded. The commission recorded verbal assent and the conditional approval was entered with the requirement that the building official sign off on the amended parking plan rather than requiring the applicant to return to the commission for final clearance.
The application also touched on hours and noise: the applicant said the business would operate in evening hours, be closed on Mondays, and intended to remain a relatively quiet, small-scale venue with occasional one-person performers. Commissioners complimented the exterior improvements and said the architectural review board would handle the design details in subsequent review.
The next procedural step is for the applicant to submit the revised parking plan showing clearly delineated, non-overlapping spaces; staff indicated approval of that plan by the building official would satisfy the condition and allow the project to move to architectural review.
