Bel Air planning panel approves Brookside Market restaurant conversion with conditions

The Bel Air Planning Commission on Feb. 10 approved a preliminary site plan allowing Brookside Market to convert a 3,694-square-foot building at 126 North Main into a proposed 4,764-square-foot restaurant with a 494-square-foot outdoor dining area.

Commissioners and staff said the proposal meets the town’s goals for downtown reuse but placed final approval on a set of conditions to clarify site details, preserve access and address community-facing features. The conditions require incorporation of staff and agency comments prior to building permits, confirmation of existing and proposed floor areas and seating counts, a refuse/recycling enclosure, and either parcel consolidation or a development agreement (or similar legal document) binding the four parcels and parking arrangements.

Paul Thompson, the architect of record, told the commission the plans include a 1,070-square-foot addition for walk-in freezer and storage and that the design uses stone and consistent materials across all elevations. “The grease trap will be in the ground, in the back of the building, so that they can pump that out,”…