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Commission approves Charlotte Pike coffee‑shop buffer variances, asks Greenways to finalize trail location
Summary
Commission approved variances for a Charlotte Pike coffee shop that will remove previous impervious cover and add a drive‑through lane in floodway buffer areas, with conditions requiring buffer signage and a staff‑led coordination among Metro Water, Greenways and the applicant to determine a resilient trail easement on the property.
The Stormwater Management Commission approved a variance package July 16 for a proposed Charlotte Pike coffee shop that includes a drive‑through lane and buffer modifications, with conditions to protect stream buffers and to coordinate placement of a future greenway easement.
Staff said the site currently is heavily impervious and recommended tree plantings and clear plan language showing the no‑disturb buffer. Greenways staff warned that locating a trail at the top of bank would be vulnerable to erosion and higher long‑term maintenance costs; Greenways asked that any easement leave a practical distance from the water for bank repair and resilience.
Applicant Allen Brewer of SWS Engineering said the revised plan reduced parking to the minimum required 18 spaces, relocated dumpsters out of buffers and added landscape adjustments. “This is a significant improvement from what we see out there right now,” Brewer said, arguing the project reduces impervious surface on the site from roughly 90% to approximately 40% (applicant’s estimate).
Commissioners discussed easement width and the practicalities of siting a public trail on the property. Rather than set a precise width on the record, the commission required the applicant, Metro Water/Development and Greenways staff to work together to identify a location for a Greenway trail easement on the site that creates a long‑term viable alignment; the approval also required the applicant to add two additional buffer signs to clearly mark the no‑mow/no‑disturb line. The chair announced the motion saw unanimous support and carried.
The decision accepts several standard Greenways conditions to memorialize any conservation easement, require recording with the Register of Deeds and to clarify long‑term maintenance responsibilities if and when Metro Parks accepts a dedication. The applicant must coordinate with Greenways on the final easement and location prior to issuance of building permits.
