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Homespun owner seeks small rear addition to expand kitchen and prep space
Summary
Forrest presented a pre-application plan to add roughly 9-by-14 feet to the rear of the former ice cream shop now operating as Homespun to free up kitchen space for refrigeration and prep; commissioners asked about step clearances and noted building-code review will enforce required distances and safety measures.
Forrest, representing the restaurant that replaced a former ice cream shop in downtown Charles Town, presented a pre-application plan July 13 to add an exterior 9-by-14-foot extension at the rear of the building to create refrigeration and prep space.
Forrest told the commission the goal is to add roughly "another 120 square feet" to relieve cramped kitchen conditions and to match existing finishes so the addition would be visually seamless with the building. He described working with contractor Steve Bittner and said the design seeks to limit noise from condensers and compressors by locating refrigeration units to reduce impacts for rear-seating customers.
Commissioners asked specific site questions. Nick asked the distance between an existing painted step and the proposed structure; Forrest said his contractor suggested building the addition up to the step so there would be no step-down, and he estimated about 24 inches currently and said that design could be adjusted to meet code. Commissioners and staff noted that clearances are primarily a code-enforcement matter and that building officials would review setbacks and egress during permit review.
Why this matters: The proposal is a business-expansion effort for a downtown small business that commissioners described as "booming"; the pre-application feedback allows the owner to refine plans before submitting a formal COA and building permit application.
What’s next: Forrest will coordinate with James and building-code reviewers and submit a formal COA and permit application at a future meeting. The commission emphasized this presentation was nonbinding pre-application advice and that no vote was taken.
