Chipotle gets OK for site design, variance

ThisWeek CW 07/14/2011

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/canalwinchester/stories/2011/07/13/chipotle-gets-ok-for-site-design-variance.html?sid=104

Central Ohio’s first new freestanding Chipotle in four years has been approved for Waterloo Crossing in Canal Winchester.

Two applications from Chipotle were approved during the July 11 planning and zoning commission meeting: a variance for the location of the parking lot and the site design plan.

“We appreciate the input and comments we’ve gotten (from the planning and zoning commission), and RED (Architecture and Planning LLC) has done a good job of incorporating those comments,” CASTO properties development specialist Eric Leibowitz said.

In June, the planning commission advised Chipotle that the original parking layout, which circled the proposed building, would not be approved based on the city’s zoning code, which requires that parking be located behind the building.

Chipotle representatives said the company’s standard is to circulate traffic one-way around the building; however, examples of other area Chipotle restaurants with have parking that doesn’t circulate this way, were discussed and RED agreed to redesign the site plan.

Waterloo Crossing was given approval to standardize monument signs — signs that are detached from the building itself — for all new development along West Waterloo Street.

“(Chipotle has) proposed a location for the monument sign, but we’ve been burned by this before,” commission member Mike Vasko said. “As I understand, what you’re showing us here is not the final location (for the monument sign) and we want to know what that location is and that it has a landscaping plan.”

The commission unanimously approved both the parking variance and the site design plan with two conditions: that Chipotle provide details for the location of the monument sign and landscape plans for both the sign and for screening two electrical service boxes on the western portion of the property.

The commission also unanimously approved a variance sought by Charles Smith, 650 Bowen Road, who submitted plans to expand an existing barn from 4,920 square feet to 24,360 square feet so it can be used as an indoor horse-training facility.

He said he purchased the property to replace his current facilities.

“I won’t be doing anything different than what I’ve been doing across the street in a building I built 25 years ago,” Smith said. “I purchased this property in 2008. My business is training riding horses, cutting horses, not race horses, so I need to be able to do my business; with this facility, I can, even in inclement weather.”

The final application before the commission Monday was for a 1,292-square-foot shelter house to be built on the grounds of the Mid-Ohio Historical Museum, 700 Winchester Pike.

A variance was approved earlier this year for a permanent tent to be erected for seasonal events; after further research, museum owner Damon Pfeifer said he discovered it would be more cost-efficient to build a permanent structure.

“We found that building a shelter house will be cheaper than renting a tent … It will have painted wood and the same dimensional shingles as the current building so it will match,” Pfeifer said.

The commission unanimously approved the application on the condition that the prior tent variance be withdrawn.

In new business, city planning and zoning administrator Andrew Dutton presented changes to the Old Town Overlay, Preservation District guidelines and the addition of an Old Town Zoning District.

“These changes are the products of our workshops with residents,” Dutton said. “First is the creation of downtown zoning districts: downtown commercial, multifamily residential and single-family residential. The only real difference (between these zoning regulations and the same ones outside of the Old Town) is setbacks.”

The changes also propose that the city’s Landmarks Commission will do the architectural review process for all of the downtown area. The final major change will codify design criteria for the downtown historic and preservation districts.

“Hopefully, this will make it easier to develop downtown,” Dutton said. He said he hopes to have legislation written by the next planning and zoning commission meeting so it can be approved for recommendation to city council.

The next planning and zoning commission meeting is 7 p.m., Aug. 8, at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.