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Commissioners press developers on glazing, circulation and temporary dumpster at Brickworks revision
Summary
Developers seeking revisions to the Brickworks Lot 4 site plan said they are bringing a two-story, ~30,000 sq ft Club Studio fitness operator and asked for multiple modifications including reduced ground-floor glazing and a temporary dumpster location; staff said it does not support the low-transparency request and commissioners urged more brick and design elements to make non-glazed façades look intentional for future tenants.
Developers and tenants presented revisions to the Brickworks mixed-use site (Lot 4), focusing on two pads: a two-story, ~30,000-square-foot studio-led fitness operator for Pad 1 and a refined footprint for a second retail pad. Eric DeVito of Greenberg Gibbons introduced the changes and said the team removed a previously proposed drive-through and refined the building footprints to better match tenant needs.
Jay Diamond (applicant team) said the proposed fitness concept is a two-story, studio-led operator with a roughly 15,000-square-foot floor plate per level. "This concept is now 30,000 square feet, 2 story," he told the commission, and the operator stressed the need for limited ground-floor glazing to preserve darkened studio spaces used in boutique fitness programming. Dustin Pigeon (Club Studio) explained the business model and programming, saying the studio relies on controlled lighting, sound and temperature to operate properly.
The applicant requested multiple modifications tied to zoning standards and site constraints: reduced ground-floor transparency (the applicant cited trellises and IV walls as compensating features), a smaller loading space (matching a previous approval), a temporary dumpster location that will be relocated when Pad 2 is developed, parking setback modifications and a building setback modification driven by a major stormwater outfall near Monocacy Boulevard.
Staff reviewed the relevant code sections and said the department currently does not support the transparency modification as presented: shopping center and street-facing facades typically require 50% glazing or multi-light windows and the current submittal showed about 19% transparency. Staff suggested design solutions such as internal circulation that can preserve dark studio spaces while meeting façade transparency standards. Commissioners recommended adding more brick or fenestration detail to ensure the façade can appear compatible if a different tenant replaces the studio in the future. Public comment raised similar aesthetic concerns about material choices.
No formal vote was recorded at the workshop. The applicant said it will revisit the façade treatments, consider additional brick or design elements, and coordinate with staff on modifications before the hearing.
Next steps: applicant to revise façade treatments and provide additional justification for transparency modifications; modifications will go before the Planning Commission in a formal hearing.
