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Advisory commission recommends variances for 3415 Maple Avenue restaurant; forwards to village board
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Summary
The Brookfield advisory zoning commission voted to recommend approval of multiple variances for a proposed family restaurant at 3415 Maple Avenue, including larger wall signs, a 2-foot side-yard setback reduction and other parking/driveway adjustments; the recommendation goes to the village board for final action.
The Brookfield advisory zoning commission voted to recommend approval of variances for a proposed family-oriented restaurant at 3415 Maple Avenue and will forward the recommendation to the village board for final action.
Staff opened the item by saying the Village is the owner of the subject property at 3415 Maple Avenue and summarized requested variations: larger wall signs because the building is taller than the code anticipates, driveway setback reductions along the east property line, a narrower drive aisle where parking backs up to a 16-foot alley, and either a designated loading stall or an acceptance of a slightly narrower aisle when deliveries occur. Staff said the applicant’s packet included responses to the approval criteria and that staff recommended approval of the requested variations.
The applicant, identified in the meeting as Alex, described the project as a family neighborhood restaurant and bar with a rooftop gathering area. Alex said the business would focus on lunch and dinner rather than breakfast and that upstairs shutters would be used to limit noise for nearby residents. On hours, Alex said the bar area would likely wind down around 11:30 p.m. to midnight, while noting that a liquor license could allow later activity downstairs.
Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on several operational details: whether deliveries would block circulation, the practicality of backing out adjacent to a delivery truck in a narrow alley, the extent of on-street parking credits used in the applicant’s parking calculation, and whether the alley was paved (staff confirmed it is). Staff explained the site plan shows 30 on-site spaces and that on-street credits were applied to reach the code-equivalent parking total.
On signage and lighting, the applicant said proposed signs would be low-key and possibly use dim accent lighting rather than bright illumination. Staff acknowledged that sign dimensions exceed the nominal 4-foot limit for wall signs because the two-story building raises the top-of-sign height and that the application requests larger wall signs accordingly.
After discussion, the commission moved to close public discussion and, on a subsequent motion, to recommend approval of the variation to reduce the side-yard setback by 2 feet subject to the conditions in the staff report. The motion passed by recorded voice vote and will be transmitted as the advisory body’s recommendation to the village board, which makes the final decision.
The commission’s review also noted several items that will be decided during detailed site-plan review, including lighting levels and accessible routing from parking stalls to the building entrance. Staff said those elements would be addressed during building and site-plan review under the village’s procedures.
The advisory commission chair closed the item by congratulating the applicants and noting next steps: the recommendation will be forwarded to the village board and building/permit review will follow if the board approves.
