Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Okay, we got I'll call this meeting of the village of Fold Spring Planning Board to order. Um I've got no broad comment. Does anyone have any agenda items they would like to add uh or modify? No. No, not me. Okay. Um we can move on to the main business of the evening which is change of use for 37 Main Street from retail to uh restaurant and um yeah Ben did you want to highlight something before we get going?

Yes. So with so um just in the interest of full disclosure um I've known Brian Fley for about 10 years um and through through Cub Scouts uh I also am friends with um with one of the shareholders in this project um uh you know I can I can safely say that you know that that's not going to influence my independence or impartiality uh the decision making or or how I work on this. Everyone's comfortable with that. Yeah. Yeah. Village. Jonathan, you comfortable with that? Sorry. Yeah. Yep. Thanks, Ben. Thank you.

All right. Brian, are you going to be present just kind of presenting to the board tonight? Yeah. Okay. Getting to do

I know you you're familiar with the process. Uh just for your own benefit. Um this is basically just discovery in preparation public hearing and make sure we understand the project, the scope, we have the we have the documents. Um if we feel like once we feel like we're either have everything we need or we're close enough to having everything we need that we can go ahead and schedule public hearing, we'll do so. Um you'll send out uh notices to surrounding residents about the change of use. Uh, we'll get it posted in the um paper record which I think is the um the paper record now. So, the journal.

It's the journal. It's the the journal now. Um PCNR journal and whatever else. Okay. Yeah, the PCNR and you'll post a sign at the at the um at the uh site. Okay. Um All right. Um actually still have the last one that I can Great. Uh why don't you why don't you lead us lead us through it?

Great. So would you mind me [Music] not going to give audio here or I can share a screen here. Oh, I can send a request to share screen. request.

There you go. Okay, there we go. Okay, wonderful. Um, so this is for 37 Main Street, um, which we all often know as the tide building for the last decade plus. Um we have since taken set tieback off and are attempting to and you know to restore the property to a lot of historic condition. Um the one of the things for clarity I bought entity that had it. So there's not a newly recorded deed though I now have the entity. So that was one question that had come up. I do have the deed. It's from 193 if we need reference to it. Um

I think does Abigail have a copy of that? I brought one for you if you don't already have one. Would you like one? Yes. Yes. Here you are. And I can send it digitally too if you want that. Yes. Okay. Got it. Um uh so yeah.

Um you know an introduction brief overview of the building and the history. Uh, it served as a variety of uses over a long period of time. It's actually got some really cool history. I won't bore you here with this. If want to have the rest of the history, I'm happy to go into it, but there's a lot of sort of interesting history to the property, including, you know, there are things that are were restored in the property that now sit at Smithsonian and other cool museums around the country. um because of some of the interesting work that was um it has been in you know sort of good ownership but bad repair uh and falling into repair for quite a number of years here in the village um in part due to a handful of circumstances with the prior owner. Um I purchased it a bit ago and have been going through the process of figuring out what we were going to do with it as a property. Uh for a while we worked tried to work closely with the village and explore the idea of creating a visitor center here. I brought that proposal that I could sort of walk you through. We couldn't get to that uh successful juncture but tried to put you know quite a number of months uh and dollars and effort to doing that as an even better access uh vehicle and resource for the village and sort of the population especially at the crossroads that this building sits at next to the railroad tracks and the underpass the the loop you know and sort of all these sort of interesting points of intersection. Um, and when that, you know, after nearly a year of sort of effort at trying to get that to work, um, didn't come to pass, I had to sort of pivot to other use of the building. Um, and so I started interviewing uh, tenants and have gotten to the point that we have agreed and I, as I was referencing earlier, I can now share it would be Andrew's Bakery, which is located up here on Main Street, uh, a little bit further up the hill. they'll be relocating down to take over the uh

the what is the first floor space of the building. Um, and so that overview, if I sort of go in here, um, that brings us to a point that we need to request a change of use. Um, and we believe that this, uh, property, which is currently zoned B1, general business, would uh, be a really great resource as a restaurant. It the the bones, the shape, the spacing, the sizing of the building fit very well for all of these purposes. Um, it has a really great vibe and feel. I don't know. I invite any planning board members to come. I'm happy to sort of do a I know you can't have a core offsite, but do it in individual capacity.

Um, or Ross can do a tour of the building.

U, but it's it's going to have a really great feel inside. It's really beautiful historic bones and structures inside. We're actually keeping a lot of the machine uh equipment that was historic was used in the building and that will stay in the building and be part of sort of the demonstration of the building. Um we're going through um so the the proposal and sort of our planned use helps ensure both uh existence of this long-standing business in town and you know and sort of its expansion and things as well as this long-standing property uh and bringing it back to life and making it a really beautiful hub for a lot of engagement and activity. And I'll get into some of that here in a little bit. Um, and I will mention, it's not really in here, but I'm more than happy to go into more detail on that. Uh, that we're doing, you know, a lot of what for me a personal passion is sustainability. And so, a lot of what we're doing in the building is very focused on sustainable redevelopment of a historic building. We've been working with uh building 451, one of the foremost national experts in renovating historic buildings. We are utilizing some of their proprietary products uh insulation methodologies, construction method methodologies that are sort of you know they've been doing a lot of R&D into creating the most cutting edge ways to take existing and historic buildings and bring them into sort of modern insulation, energy efficiency standards without doing what for many buildings, you know, for many property owners is the well this is old. we're going to tear it down and then we'll use all these new really cool cutting edge materials. But from a sustainability standpoint, that's actually pretty terrible. Uh both from the destruction, the landfill, as well as all the new production uh materials that are put in. Um and so we'll be featuring in the restaurant, we'll be featuring a lot of this and having cutins to the wall that sort of demonstrate how we did these

things where we didn't. You know, this building was known as a Tyvec building because it doesn't have what in modern standards is a vapor barrier. Um, and so we did this really innovative thing that will be an interior vapor barberry so we didn't have to destroy all the historic sighting on the property. Um, I know some of this is more the purview of sort of HRB and you know, but I still find it. No, definitely.

Um, okay. Uh, so the some of the getting into the rationale for the change of use. Um, let me just this so I can see my own notes here. Um so you know our rationale here is both the activation of a long neglected property. We sort of talked about this at a high level. Uh we think that a bake shop and cafe will uh while it you know building it out is a substantial investment for building this large of a space out for it. It will create a really wonderful community gathering space that sits at this hub intersection. Um we've got a proven operator Angie's Bakery. you know, I I haven't ever heard a lick of a bad word ever once from anyone about how that business operates, how the proprietors, you know, engage with their customers and the community and and all those kind of things. And I think they're a, you know, a really wonderful couple and they treat their staff well and their customers well and I'm excited to help give them a larger canvas to sort of build their business on. Um, the forward There we go. Um, I think there's an alignment with community and visitor need. I think the property sits at the nexus of a place where we can create what is sort of called a third space, a space outside your home and outside your work where you can come together, interact with other community members. And for me, and this was a a big part of my proposal and conversations with the the trustees and sort of that pursuit to create a village activity, community space. Um, what I see here is the opportunity to actually create interaction that is warm and positive between visitors to our community and the residents of our community and have that place that is the cheers kind of place that very local and and familiar place that is also large enough that can handle a positive type of engagement with visitors where it can sort of handle the size of things. Whereas some

of our other restaurants in town are small enough that when visitors are in town, residents can't get in, right? And I think this actually creates the sizing and spacing where routinely we'll be able to have both. And I think that actually helps break down some of those barriers when we're interacting with sitting next to the people that in some other instances are considered the them in an us. Um safe, welcoming, and accessible space. you know, we will prioritize safety, accessibility, warm atmosphere, um, helping project. It's sort of the first thing you see as you come into the village, right? And I will share as a sort of anecdote. We, you know, you probably saw I put up a big QR code survey on the side of the building with paint sampling. We sort of went through a community engagement activity. You know, we got hundreds of responses to that. Um, and there were some interesting responses to that that I wasn't expecting and were really enlightening and I'm pleased to be addressing, which came from some individuals. I got two of these different responses

that reference that when they get off the train and walk down the the sort of pathway from the train station into the village. It's not just that it's dark there and there's some lighting there, but it and that there's sort of the woods. their biggest concern that they are very excited to have go away is that there is a vacant building sitting there from a safety perspective and from a like being taken in there and bad things happening kind of perspective.

Um and I that wasn't a kind of feedback that I was expecting on a colored paint survey. Yeah. But getting two of those things that were filled with gratitude around that really like sort of like opened my eyes to something that I I hadn't perceived as a as a source of threat or danger but sure but clearly is. And so I think us creating a well-lit safe space activated community so that as you come into the village you feel some of the village right there's this concept in architecture as you sort of like enter a space you want to sort of like open up to it gradually and not have it all hit you at once. And right now you come down this sort of green chute on the walkway and then you step out and you're almost like stunned like oh I'm in the village and where do I go? And we all witnessed it.

Yeah. Everyone stands there and sort of ponders and we believe we can sort of open that up and sort of create what is a little bit more transitionary vibe and feeling as you come off the train.

Um okaying the village's economic and social fabric. I think that the cafe will help increase pedestrian traffic in in a good way and sort of like allow people to have a space to go into as opposed to sort of the maintenance that happens there. Um, as well as help encourage longer dwell times and just having them come be here, be in our village and visit a a business that, you know, that's locally owned that has the capacity to handle some of our surge of visitor population. um as well as serving you know our existing residents, tourists um and just sort of I feel like we do have a downtown sort of main street revitalization that's been going the last few years and I think this is one of the buildings that in doing what we're doing with the building helps move forward that uh that benefits to the village revitalization of a key property support for the local institution economic multiplier just bringing in more visitors uh you know sales tax were I think we're all very happy about the recent sales tax ruling at the county level. Um community anchor and sort of a gateway enhancement as people come to recovery. Um so now I've got uh you have large print that I mentioned before everyone gathered um you know design turned in all the large print. I've got things here that are uh sourced from those things but some zoomed in some arrows. So it's a little bit like a way of help present the information. Um so we've got the full survey right sort of seeing the whole parcel. Um I will mention you know we have submitted a request to purchase two adjacent parcels from the village um that are the by doing it on. Yes. That are this section up here where they're often there are a whole bunch of those sort of like sign that flags that are popped up. Yeah.

For some other businesses. And then where's my mouse? And then this section here which is on the front or main street side is as many businesses it's currently owned by the village even though the student sticks out into it. Yeah.

I've offered to purchase it from the village and doing so in both cases remove the liability shift liability over to me and my insurance shift maintenance over to me and my maintenance um as well as allow me to sort of renovate it and bring it fully up to snuff. Um, you know, we, as you all are probably aware, there's a large, um, sort of construction project happening here at this intersection corner for the new handicap access to the from from a side, not me, but the village is doing construction project there. The trees been removed.

Um, and we have spoken with the crew doing it. We will be, you know, seeking to match the pavers and everything to sort of flow seamlessly into what is the new construction as well as over into our property. Does that does that uh include like an have an ADA entrance there or

the the plan is yes to do so uh I'll I'll step back and give you a macro topic and then come back to answer that micro question. Uh so we are approaching this this property from sort of a two-phase approach. There's a lot to do here as you can all sort of imagine just knowing it. Um, and so what's in front of you both on the table and in this presentation, this conversation, uh, is using the existing entrance to the building as the main entrance to the business. Phase two, after we hopefully secure a purchase from the village of that front piece along Main Street, uh, compounds, this section here facing Main Street, is to build a sort of a stoop in that front section. Yeah. which will be full ADA accessibility from the sidewalk, you know, and from those things. And it's we've done all the laser line level analysis, all the schematics. They're not with you because they're for a future step. Um, meaning like a year or more down the road, but it will uh create ADA accessibility into the building. And as you'll see for our work inside the building, we are doing ADA accessibility inside the building in anticipation of what we know we'll be doing outside the building year or so.

What's the I'm curious about the timing there. Like what what's the what's the what's drawing it toward a year versus now? Sooner. Yeah. Uh the the honest answer is I would like to go I'm happy to go as fast on phase two as possible. Yeah. with the need to go fastest on phase one and the step down in the process to get to phase two to be going to the village to purchure parcel and that it's a and then the large what is the larger construction piece that is a accessible and there's a little bit of a complexity to it. I don't know if you want me to go all the way into the weeds here, but there is a seller entrance here.

And so we're we've we've done a really good job, I think, of designing a pretty nifty way that it will still be a stoop, have historic look and feel, be HDRB happy and supported, we believe. Yeah. while still accessing the seller with this sort of interesting cool technology piece that like I don't I can't describe it easily here and like visuals are sort of needed but essentially it's sort of like in New York City where there are open-ups but there's safety pieces to it. We're sort of building it into the stoop in a way that makes it look like you don't see it until it transforms and opens up. Um and so both the purchase of the front piece and then the construction and engineering of that custom piece to do the front

Yeah. are the pieces that feed into that. It could be as quick as six months. Yeah. Um, you know, it's probably more like just being reasonable about about timelines. It's probably more like next summer that we're opening up that which does include also coming back to work. Okay.

Um, Jonathan, question for you on like sequencing and timing. I know that we've had other applications before us where there was a purchase of of the stew area from the village as a part of the project but had not yet completed. I can't remember. Do we include conditions in the approval? Because like there's a bunch of like interconnected facts here about like the exact like details of the site plan and the the purchase of that and uh what's your remind me what what have we done in the past about that?

Um I don't remember for that particular application if we uh did include a petition or not. I don't a condition. Um, I don't remember if it was really uh much of an element of the site plan, but um, yeah, I mean that's definitely something we could do as part of the decision, right? And for just for point of clarity, what I put forward when you're in sort of this phase doesn't require that purchase. So everything you see and Sure. Sure. Understood. Require that.

Understood. Understood. I think I think there's right there's there's there's some there's uh I I like have no reason to doubt any of your sincerity about moving forward on on ADA compliance. I think there's there's questions about like those are things that we care about on this board and and trying to figure out how we can uh we can make sure, you know, we're we're doing we're doing renovating. We're adding we're adding restaurant access. We want people, we want to be as accessible as possible, especially given how inaccessible so many of the the the um buildings are in in the village.

Um and so I mostly I just want to make sure that where we can connect the dots more explicitly that we do. Um so that's something that maybe uh we John and I can talk about uh to figure out what what can be done there. Um okay. Okay. So, I think I interrupted you, but go on. Question. Yeah. Okay.

Um, okay. Here's Oh, this is a zoomed in part, so I didn't have to do the zooming. I did the zooming. Um, here's, you know, technically the site plan for what we're looking at right now, right? We've just sort of discussed some things that are phase two. What is phase one is shown here. This you have in large format in front of you, but I'll just sort of zoom it in. it's the existing entrance and the building sitting in the footprint that it is sitting in now. So there's not really anything exciting there. Um the elevation side of the building broadly speaking and and I will also mention sort of share here there was some recent confusion by the code enforcement officers and someone filed a complaint that we had already started replacing all the windows. We had not uh and I think the confusion stem from two parts. one, the prior owners who put in windows 20some years ago

still had the stickers in the windows, they crumble in your fingers because they're 25 year old windows. I see. So, I think that was one part. And then the other part is on one of the walls there are citizen. Yes, exactly. Um, and then the other part I think was that there were are some openings in one of the walls that look like we punched holes and put up plywood. We didn't do that. That was a pre-existing condition under Tyvec and other things. But like we just uncovered and unveiled this but right my god my wife has a bagel sitting on our trampoline right now. She really wants raccoons on her trampoline. You got if you haven't seen that video.

Okay. Uh she's going to hate me for saying that on public TV or public access. Didn't just go into AI and make it That's true.

There we go. Um so what you see here on the sort of elevations is essentially no real change to the exterior of the building right uh at least on these sides the existing windows existing access points the only change that we're doing and again these are in your large format I will zoom in here though um is putting in sconces um here those are sconces and then electrical outlets here um and then stone cladding along the base uh in a historic stone and we sort provided and we're going through the HDRB process with you know all the all the technical details of all the items that are on the exterior. Okay, great. Yeah, I notic there wasn't that wasn't mentioned in the referral so I didn't know if you guys could have been referred there or not.

Yep. The top one is L Terrace and the uh No, this is so the B the top one is the full backyard like opposite Main Street. Oh, okay. And then this is facing the railroad tracks or the uh facing west. So the So the top one says east on it, doesn't it? Underneath proposed east elevation. So that Oh yeah, I think that's okay. It does say that television. And I guess I'm referring to them in the way I think about compass directions. I think of the rivers north south in like a just mental default.

But maybe this actually is I trust Hudson design. They it might be slightly more east in one f but so the bottom elevation is is this side the right hand side would be on correct. Yep. So you can sort of see the cornice up here. Yeah. Right. And this is the front side. Yep.

Um and then this is the front of the building that we sort of all recognize. Um and again no major exterior changes um other than lighting. the sconces and electrics and new windows here, but replacing and matching the form, shape, and style of the existing windows. Cool. And then these more historic windows were doing repair work, too, but keeping them these pretty cool historic windows. So, what are the what are the big doors going to be used for if there anything right now? Nothing. Okay. Light air.

Okay. We're rent we're repairing them to just bring them up to like clean and tidy standard. But will they open? Uh they open now. Yeah. And they will continue. Yeah. And but so like it almost like a like a loading area or Okay. Uh and then this is the lair facing side. So if you're facing the building, here's the front. Here's the corners.

This is over to your left side from the lter side. Here we are. What we've chosen to do is um place windows in a more uniform pattern. Right now it is a fairly chaotic pattern of how the windows are sitting there now. And we went with a more standardized sort of uh and and more uniform spacing, height alignment uh and ratios. All the windows are matching the existing window. So you're punching in for we are punching in for to bring them into matching alignment. Yeah, because it's I mean for me it's a the way I think about it is it's a wall that everybody in the se in the village sees all the time. This is going to be

this is like one of the most This is the hero wall, right? And so we just want it to look crisp and nice and you know I study architecture. There's a lot to proportion and symmetry that pleases us as a species. And so we're trying to bring that to this wall without changing it and making it something else. Make sense? Cool. How big are the floors? Uh the ground floor is about 2,000 square feet or the re the main floor, first floor is about 2,000 feet. And then upstairs is smaller. It's 13 or 1400. I don't have it on the upstairs.

Both will be used for the restaurant. Just just point. Yeah. Um, so here's um, again, I'm just zooming in to make it a little bit easier to read. Do you have um, do you have that square footage on on any of these? Yeah, it's it's here. I'm giving you rounded numbers, but so here like come on. The restaurant shows 1458 or this portion 140. So you have to add all these together. Um, but it comes up with it's two I think it's 278. If you could if you could add that. Yeah, just that total so we don't have to do the math. Totally.

Um, sorry if I could just interrupt too. So I see in the application it says that the ground floor and basement um will be used. Do you have a floor plan for the the basement as well? Uh I don't in this we're not do we're not rearranging or changing anything. Okay. The the main thing is when we do a use analysis, one of the things is for parking. For example, we need to know the total square footage it's going to be in in service of the use so that we can know what Oh, and does and the basement counts towards that too. If it's going to be used for the restaurant then yes. Okay. Got it. Well, you'll see later I ran some of the math already. Okay. I didn't include that. Okay. Just not aware but I'm happy to update it include that. Great. Yep.

Uh so good good call, Jonathan. Happy to add it sort of into this for the public session period. Um, do we have to do anything about the second floor for parking? No, you there's no use for it. So, until it has a a use. Okay. There's So, he's got to come back for a use on the second floor. I'm maintaining current use. What are the current? There's an apartment and a few office. I'm just maintaining current use.

I see. Um, so there are there are that's a good question. So, so we do have current uses which do have current parking requirements though presumably we don't have a site previous site plan for those. I probably from a date perspective I would guess not.

Yeah. So, John, in the case where we don't have a previous site plan that we're kind of amending with this additional use, uh, this change of use, which is in addition to the a set of existing uses, uh, is the how should we reason about the the parking requirements for the for the unchanging existing uses? So for the existing uses um we just treat those as basically pre-existing non-conforming. We don't have to to look great. Cool. Well, keep on.

Um okay. Uh so sort of zooming back in here. Um we've uh got two added bathrooms here. Uh sort of a coffee bar where the you know staff would work back here. Um, the ADA bathroom is here where there's an existing bathroom and we're just modifying it to fit ADA compliance. Um, and then very similar, you know, again, I I appreciate Angie and Ken letting me speak openly about who who's going here because I can now reference you to how the front of Angie's bakery is set up now, right?

They're sort of replicating it here, right, from a layout perspective. So, if you can vision yourself in that one, it's very similar here. There's a kitchen in the back separated with some equipment. Um, and then sort of a staff prep space separated by a piece of furniture that sort of is a decorative historic piece of furniture. Um, and then front sort of till space with a a counter where they sort of come bring you up and handle things across the counter.

I will mention I I think this is sort of cool. There's a lot of historic, you know, hundred-y old timbers that uh were in the basement that we're using to create many of the furniture pieces in here. So, in addition to, you know, all the beams remaining original, all the, you know, sort of all the structural remaining original, a lot of it's showcasing a lot of the historic equipment use, we're also bringing some of these historic wood pieces and using them to create the furniture in the space. Um, that kind of stuff. Okay. and and we're keeping the floors the it's a very interesting engineered floor because it had like chunks of train like train engines were brought in there to be refinished and refurbished and that kind of stuff and so it is a very interesting floor I can describe this construction method but it can handle almost anything from a weight perspective

and so we're keeping it in that fashion because it it just feels different than when you walk on a normal wood floor it has no flex so anyway so this is the quick skinny here any happy to go through qu you know answer questions going to be seating yeah I've got that that's shown on a and where's the front door although although maybe that's better for everyone's health if we don't allow any seating the top the top up here ah okay so that's Main Street there okay yeah okay okay anything else okay

uh here's now this one is a little confusing because it's both lighting and seating I apologize. It's a little confusing. I can ask Hudson to do one that's only one versus the other. Um, you can see the seating sort of this the tables that we saw before and then these little rounds here. Confusing because all the lighting is the the cross those are like like cross beams where lights are hanging from the the cross cutting these. Yeah. Uh, correct. Those are existing. Yeah. Those are those are like ceiling ceiling beams. Ceiling beams. Yes, correct. Yum. And these are are are vertical uh columns here. Okay.

So, there's essentially this long table here, sort of a communal table style. Another long communal table. Uh two little cafe tables, a few against the window wall. I think this one is meant to be removed because of the access here. So, that one won't be there. And then this one here. And then and then the lighting as the lighting is shown. Um just curious the the entryway I mean the entryway is is is very small. I know we have the the double doors. I'm curious like this thing is at capacity. People going to be able to get out if you do.

Yeah. There's there's a second exit here on the rear. Okay. Um so there's two means of ingress. Um and actually you know in you can actually go to the basement and come out the basement entrance as well. Okay. So there's a third. Um and then in the long run as we've sort of referenced before phase two will have this larger access entrance that is the what is those loading dock doors that will be a an even more cohesive in and out. Good. Are there thoughts about outdoor seating? Because right now, Angie's I guess has very little inside seating

and mainly tables outside uses a sidewalk. So or is the thought that that the food will be consumed inside? Uh I think it so in this phase that's before you now, we anticipate indoor seating and not outdoor seating. We do however under phase two per the you know discussion once we've acquired the additional land from the village and built the stoop and create outdoor so we do plan to add create outdoor seating. So the stoop the stoop is right now in exclusive the the modifications are super exclusive to phase two. Yeah.

Is there space for would there be room for outdoor seating on the on the railway side and then

there it's a it's a we'll get into that a little bit. It's sort of a roadway kind of thing. I think there there is space there and could be additional seating. Um, you know, we'll get we'll sort of talk through my perspective on the parking analysis, but I don't think it is is not much like sort of behind Leon was. It's not viable for safe customer veicular access staff, you know, residents there can like use it in in a safe way, but the sort of standards for customers coming in and out of a parking area. I I'm sort of jumping ahead a little bit, but so it means that it probably will still be a driveway that's used as a driveway, but not a driveway for customer parking. Okay.

Um, so so you could put tables and chairs there, but I don't think they will be there.

We don't distinguish between customer and and staff parking. So, but the the requirements are are meant to kind of be all accomplishing. Yeah. Um, good. Yeah. Oh. Oh, wait. Oh, yeah. Just parking analysis. Ben, you were leading right into this. Uh, so the width sections here, I'll sort of zoom this up. Well, I'll start here on the left. You know, you we're all familiar with this here. This driveway entrance point has both existing pedestrian, the staircase, sidewalk, and the rail station access sort of all happening right there. Um, and then if we go look here, I don't know if you can see this number, but this is 10.1 ft. Uh, and this is 9.9 ft here. Um, oh, sorry, my middle box is a reference to the curb cut. The curb cut is below sort of standard uh safety standard for and there in the in national standards there is a distinction. It may not be at village code level, but there is a distinction at the national level between staff access or professional access, meaning garbage trucks

versus customers, right? Who are sort of coming and going and there's different standards used for those. So, this falls under the customer standard, the sort of, you know, pedestrian but in a car standard. um but above the but large but sufficient for actual use for sort of what you know familiar parties. Um and then we get to sort of the pinch point of this road and it's too sh too narrow for uh vehicular traffic again based on national standards for customer use where they're coming and going at their sort of own whim versus knowing the space and a regular user of the space. So while there's sort of space back here and there can be some parking and that's what happens. I think

is it is it 10 ft? What's the what's the what's the spec on the on the drive on the driveway width? I believe it is 10 ft. Yeah. What What is the width? What is the width here? It's uh 9.9 is the smallest, 10.1 is the largest. Yeah. Um is it I think it might be 12 for non-residential use. So I Jonathan I don't want to challenge you but it may be worth double checking that I it could be. Yeah. Do people park back there now? Uh yeah I mean not broadly speaking but yes. Okay. Right.

Um uh but it's you know it's not I you know because it's just my personality. I wouldn't feel comfortable as a business or you know as a property owner creating routine traffic intersection at this point in the village. That is dangerous. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm I'm the person who blocks park. So yeah. Yeah. So so that's just you know. Oops. Sorry. Go for it. Sorry. No. No. I just agree with you.

Yeah. Um and then now I had done this based on and I didn't realize the the basement square footage counted. So, pardon that my math is incorrect, but I think I've otherwise done the math correctly here. Can update it to have the basement square footage, you know, following current code. One space per three spa or per three seats. 40 seat restaurant. Do the math. I round it up. Um, and comes out at the current estimated amount. I thought we were on square footage now. Yeah, I think that might that could be the the old code you're looking at, Brian. Okay. And I may have maybe when I was doing it before it was this and now it's

maybe we simplified a bunch of things. Um so it's I we'll double check but but but but for other restaurant uses it's six spaces per thousand square feet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's it's going to be about about what you about to say. But but let's get the actual square footage and we'll do the calcul. I guess my be my statement here is I recognize that. I'm not pushing back against it. Yeah. You know, as I actually said Jamie at Hudson Design earlier, like I believe that we need parking and we need to fund parking. Like I might be the only person that happily pays the fee. Our last our last applicant happily paid. Oh, when you

right. No, I was saying yeah, which I was pleased that he sort of was like, "No, I'm good." And you had um you know the other member who was like, "No, no, no, we got it." And it was like, "No, he's fine." Yeah. Anyway, um yeah, I I think parking is a challenge in our village and I believe in training. Sure. Sure. I do think just doubling down. I just think that that's a really tricky intersection. I sort of think about someone coming off the train maybe at a cocktail some city. Someone's coming up late at night. They're doing their best to travel safely. It's just it's waiting for Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I think I I think that like so there's with the parking it's it's tricky on this one because it is ostensibly being used by people who are skilled at navigating the the the challenging space, right? And um but I think there are questions that I have about whether the dimensional requirements for a drive and and for parking spaces are met from a perspective of figuring out how many spaces we have and how many we need. Jonathan, if we have a if if we have a portion of the drive that's that's non-conforming, does that kind of preclude the availability of spaces in the back or not? So, I think it probably would. So, I'm looking at the code now, and the access lane has to be um 10 feet wide. So, I think if it's 90.9 ft, it probably would preclude treat uh treating any spaces in the back as parking. Um maybe you can remeasure and it's uh.1 foot larger. I don't know.

Yeah. I mean, I think I think at at the end of the day, you know, we're talking I mean, I would assume based on this, we could get what, maybe five faces back there. So, I did I don't have it here.

Yeah. But I did sort of the same as I did behind Bushon and analysis including like so when you have this kind of flow you according to like national standards you have to like be able to pull the even though Ross and I can jockey our car around differently like the national standards are you have to be able to pull in straight into the sort of the 90 then back out and pull your car back around. So there's really only space for one car space that meets the requirements. You can sort of if we cut into this this um this sort of a rock embankment here for better or worse I don't think we have those required in our let's cut they may he may be lighter and so maybe maybe we so that in that case maybe it is two three

I think at the end of the day I think like my perspective if if the current site plan says that it we're non-conforming uh it's really a matter of you know I think there's a path if we want to see if that 9.9 hold if we do another measurement. Yeah. Uh there's a path to to potentially you know reduce the offsite part just do some just like you know because like to offset them to some degree

but you can always just seek all the waiverss and say hey it's 9.9 it's you can't really drive back there's enough space to turn around. I think that my I'm comfortable with either direction personally. So, it's really kind of up to you about how you want to approach the the parking.

I guess the I might answer the question with a question which is the way a statement followed by a question. The way I think about it, the better thing to do as a community member and citizen is to pay for all the waiverss, even if there can be a couple cars parked here and like sort of taken off street and off the municipal lot thing and like and on occasion that will happen. It's like the better thing to do. It's like the more beneficial thing is sort of a local business thing. And so that's the way I lean assuming I'm looking at the question the right way. That's where I would then turn to am I looking at the question the right way.

I mean I think at the end of the day it's up it's up to you to decide how many waivers you would like to ask for, right? Like uh you can ask for all all the waivers or or uh you know some portion of if you have something you can you can leverage. So I think um you know in other situations for getting this particular site in a situation where there was five obvious spots that could be used and the applicant was seeking a waiver of all of them for whatever reason that would probably I mean John we would still have to make the the referral for for the amount they requested but we would probably include some spicy comments about right about how many should be actually granted. Uh

and then and then on the flip side, we've had other applications where the property had some it had physical space to park cars, but it didn't meet the code's requirement for parking spaces. So that I think factored into the board's uh favorable recommendation that even though you know there aren't any uppercase off streetet parking spots, there is some room. So that kind of uh lend and that's context that's context we would include in our referral. We basically say, hey, you know, the the site plan suggests that, you know, there maybe you could imagine potentially having parking back there, but after discussion, you know,

decided it was not safe and and were challenging to to navigate and so we're recommending the, you know, the format. So, it's all good context for us to have. I think at the end of the day, uh, if it's simpler to just ask for the full, then we can just pursue that. Yeah. My sense is it's simpler and it's the it's the more generous thing I'm doing visa v the village from from a couple perspectives. So that that's my difference is to do things if I'm in the more warm and community member way assuming that I'm reading the the nuance there correctly. Like I you reference spicy comments in the the referral. I wouldn't want a spicy comments.

Of course, of course. Of course, of course. Um, yeah, that's a sweet comment guy. Yeah, I try to avoid that. Yeah. Yeah. Is there any has there been any conversation about blowing off parking there and contemplating that long term as a outdoor seating area?

I think that's that's potential in the long run. I think that, you know, for the for Angie's the business, the the space that they're stepping into is already a very sizable growth of space. um in terms of like what are they servicing and supporting right you know like a I don't know exactly how many seats they have but like a four seat restaurant or six seat kind of cafe they have now maybe with the outside maybe it's 10 to 40 is essentially a four to 5xing and I and I think there's some amount of growth curve for them to get to that point

um before they would might consider going for outdoor seating but I but I think it's the space is naturally suited to it and it would it could it conducively handle it extremely well. So I do think that the the site between the building the site location has that very strong potential. Uh so I think that the things we're missing so far maybe you maybe you already have them somewhere else in this presentation but um we need locations of um garbage. So it's funny because on 7276 I came before you. You asked for that and when I was here for my first meetings it actually was on the drawing but I was flustered at the time and so I acknowledged that I needed to get but then later that night I was like oh it's there.

And then earlier today I was like oh crers the one thing that I remember from last time that needed to be here didn't get added the drawings you got. Okay. So we I will get you the new drawings that have that. Great. Um, it might be helpful to to talk through it a little bit though if you know where it is. Back here. Uh, actually this might be the easiest one.

Um, so the the dumpsters would sit in the back here, right? So again, just to orient you, Main Street's up over here, front of the building. So the dumpsters would sit back here and be wheeled up uh to be collected up here front. So again, sort of a reason that this uh to your question earlier um you know will still be a used driveway for like moving things around sort of cafe space. Yeah. Um can you can you be more specific about exactly where uh where they're to be set?

Yes. Um, so the the dump trucks, the not dump trucks, the garbage trucks currently back in here and pick up uh, you know, back here. Okay. They don't, you know, I think because it narrows in both the building narrows in as well as the like sort of shrubbery Sure. kind of stuff. They don't want to back all the way back here. I got So you there there's a process of wheeling things out. So So where do they they sit on in the far back and then they get wheeled to like the midline. Okay, cool. Yeah, exactly.

Um, all right. A thing I I want to make sure we cover here because I feel like for maybe a variety of reasons, we we had a bit of a misstep across the street on this. Yes. Yes. And I actually prepared like a timeline in case you wanted to go through it because there was like sort of an access. Do you want me to go through that or that the 72 for this property or for No, for 72. No. Okay. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. It's a condition of the approval. So, we don't have anything more to do to do with it. So, it it's it's really what I can say to the board is it was entirely unintentional. Yeah. Just it missed.

Sure. And then, you know, but it is being fully addressed and and solved for and already went before HDRB on it. Fully solved for, etc. So I do apologize for like just missing it in the conditions at the time and time passing etc. U but just want to make sure we we cover here any any external signage. Um so the current plan is uh you know I haven't talked specifically with the tenant about exactly where they want signage. Um I do think they will want signage on the front side of the building and let me go here. So probably somewhere in this space okay

is probably where they will seek to have signage. But I have definitely having just gone before the HRB last week or maybe the week before on signage. I've read everything very closely help make sure that in this case my tenant stays fully within all the rules of signage. Right. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. The some of the signage code is it's hard to read. Uh yes. Uh, and uh, I think even with the painted the painted signage, there was some, it was hard for me to figure out exactly what was allowed and what was not allowed. So,

um, okay. So, you're you're you're getting that detail like you're I guess the the like the thing that will be important is if we can get those details for the for the public hearing, great. If we can't, we'll just we'll leave it in the condition and I will. Yes, exactly. Uh, cool. Um, I will work on that. Great. Um, do I have uh Oh, landscaping. Do we have any landscaping going on?

Uh, right. Let's let's go to back vertical here. Um, so right now, you know, we'll be there's activity happening, sort of village driven activity right now on the two wheel wells. I've been put in touch with our tree committee. Um, so we'll be working on selecting an where my mouse go a new tree to go here.

Um, they just took this tree out uh for the new sidewalk piece. We're going to, you know, we've cleaned up the the what is it right now? out is a brick um uh sort of just it looks like a brick walkway next to the sidewalk in the front of the building presently. We sort of like cleaned it up and like debated it. It was as you may recall mud wart as tall as me kind of stuff. Um so cleaned it up. We similarly uh we did take the ivy off the building. Um while ivy has a beautiful aspect to it, it can be really bad for buildings. Yeah.

And so we did take it off. We did keep and have kept the sort of the the ivy cover down here on the ground as a ground cover. Um we will be coming to put in a a larger you know we've got a water issue here in the village from a downhill flow perspective and all those kind of things. Um, and so we will look to come and put in a proper French drain here at some point as we so we were doing um, uh, we sort of cleaned up all the the It's very It's very pretty over here now. It was I don't want to be disrespectful to owner. It was just overgrown. It was just very overgrown. So, we're doing that. My dog enjoyed that space.

Yeah. Um similarly we've sort of like cleaned up all back here uh and things from a land. So that's sort of like what we've done so far and generally speaking that's what we're planning to do. We do plan to put in um some when we are doing the work to how do I say this to create a level space. So um the the point of where the sidewalk enters where the sort of like the handicapped access point is the sort of dip or pivot in the sidewalk handicap access is

that point is magically perfectly level with sort of the front and the side of the building here and we plan to as part of this sort of phase two create essentially a flat ecosystem. So from that point here, yeah, they can you can come and and go on to this space here and we'll have like leveled it. Um and we would plan to do some a little um like a blue stone and we got the pavers the the sample from name was John who's doing who is sort of o overseas like the the

I know I'm sorry I think I'm pretty sure it was John um who oversees you know he was running the back ho and sort here's things I'll give you the sample and drop it off that like matches what other things have on village property etc. So, we'll be matching that for a little sort of walkway up against the building here. That'll be over the French train. Over the French train. Correct. Yep. Can I jump in on this? Um, and if it's if you're handling it later on, that's fine. But, um, I just this may also just be something for the public hearing or preparing for that. Um, I'd love to sort of sort of see sort of more detail and direction for the French train

and then and then also carry on from that because we're of course we're all about um uh the um I guess the the management of of water. So, so what's going to happen off the roof of the building and where does it go and how are you evading that with on on the property? So uh what I in phase two so I'm happy to talk about it now but it's sort of in my proposed phase two is actually you can sort of see over here on the right side there's a catch basin that comes that is capturing bringing water from sort of rock street and a handful of other directions that comes down under L comes and then it's a

I don't know how to describe it right but it's like it's a pipe that comes out that has that had like sort of like an open concrete hole

for the water to just flow into and then get and splash and then get sort of caught to flow into the next pipe. I think not an engineer, not a water expert, but my unprofessional but probably okay perspective is I think that's one of the points in some of our water system that could use a next step upgrade as we're doing larger things around the village. And I'm comfortable putting forward that proposal that I would be responsible for bringing the water from that French drain and the building to that point, but also taking care of upsizing and repairing and bringing that up to better stuff at my expense versus the villages.

Where are you going to put the water though? Oh, sorry. Into that. So, that's a drain pipe that continues. It's part of the larger village system that brings water down. There's an elbow there basically. Juts off to the right. Yeah, correct. So, I would be putting I would be that's where the water would go. Sorry, I didn't mean to not answer the question. It goes somewhere.

I It goes into the larger village system. I don't know exactly where it goes from there. So, I think there's there's a there's a presentation thing we need to solve a little bit about this phase one versus phase two because I'm worried that if we're if we're if we need to treat them as totally separate and we say look we're phase two may if it may happen it may not happen. Uh we it's not in scope for this and we evaluate this just as it is. Mhm. Uh that we're clear about that and that we're that it's clear to the public what it is we're actually talking about. Right.

Um and if we are thinking that we need tighter connection between phase one and phase two that we that we that we resolve that. So Jonathan, what when you have phase projects like this, what's what are some approaches that people take to to try to resolve the fact that you can like you can only conceive of the project in its totality with both like considering what happens in both phases. But you need like you don't want to be stuck doing peacemeal evaluations if if you can't understand the project as a whole until you have both phases. So what what what are ways of pe way people approach that?

Right. So you can either do it uh separately where you just do it um one phase at a time and you have your site plan approval for the property that is there now and if and when the other properties acquired um you come back and just amend the site plan. Um or there are phased approvals where you take everything into consideration and you have conditions and the approval is worded in such a way that it uh considers uh the other phases. But usually you see that type of thing um with bigger more complicated projects.

Uh so in with a project like this um I have to think about how to to word it in a way that makes sense. My intent, the way I had intend intended to sort of approach this was in don't consider phase two, consider phase one. But I don't want to be dishonest or or non-transparent. Here's phase. No, I get I get that. And I think I think phase two items, as I've tried to sort of lay them out, I think I tried to organize it into phase one things

meet all the requirements and and I I I believe and hope up to your deference. um set us up for success in all regards irrespective of phase two and then phase two items help further enhance and especially for both use accessibility wastewater management you know there's a handful of things that are further enhancements that in phase two but I think it I believe it still meets and and still not only meets but sort of supersedes requirements under just phase one I I think that's I think we can proceed that way. I think what I want I want to just make sure that the that the documents we are presenting are really exclusively about phase one

and I think I've done that. Well, I think that there's there's in your for example just your description because because we're when we're describing this stuff, you're kind of flexing between phase one and phase two. And I and I appreciate you're painting a good picture, right? like the lovely picture for the public and I think when when you present in the public hearing I would like keep it I would like to try to keep it really tight on phase one and if if you want to add a flourish at the end that says okay you know this is phase one just so everyone knows it's in the context of a larger project we're going to do you know all these fun things uh but that's going to be later then

okay you can communicate but it won't it'll be clear kind of what the public is is kind of responding to. That's the most important thing is I don't want the public to be confused about exactly what they're commenting about. Okay. And so with respect to that, you know, like you know, when we talked about uh you know uh the you know the water stuff uh and the um any external landscaping that we're just like clear of like is that is that now? Is that later? just so we know what we're talking about. So that that would be my request there. Yeah. So on the on the water stuff my understanding is and I I

it's really question for the for the village engineer is does the roof water and ambient water on the property need to be contained on the property um or can it be put into like the public discharge system? And so that's just a question and if it if it if it has been contained on the property then that's goes into phase one. So correct and and the the other piece that's coming in that's you know someone else's water that's coming in you know perhaps we can think about that as being phase two but um I don't know what the answer is. I'm just trying to sort of give you my logic. Well and the that totally makes sense and I'm fine with the way you said it. I will point this out just from like a topography perspective.

The because of how the roof is pitched um and how the hill slopes down. The reason for the French drain here isn't water that falls on the property. Water that falls down the hill coming down the hill. So you want to protect protect your property. That's so I'm creating a bull work sort of like a like hey here's where the water stops and and as it enters my property gets captured and goes into the village system versus I've gathered water across my big roof or I mean I only have a little bit of asphalt but across these impermeable surfaces and I've collected it and then I'm sticking those those parts of the water, the collected water, I'm fine keeping essentially dealing tending with on my own.

Yeah. And letting it go into permeable surfaces. Yeah. Do you know how the property did two years ago? Amazingly stayed dry. Now, this is my own commentary on the nature of where our weather patterns are going, but I'm worried that that one two years ago was the worst one. Oh, yeah. [Music] So, so I'm preparing for the next one. Sure. But it but to your question, great question. It actually fared well and stayed dry. And the way I it had part to do with just like how the water curled down the sidewalks and the road. So, it's definitely at the bottom of the hill. There's no question about that. It got lucky. It must be

Yeah. You are going to have a a sidewalk cut, right? There's one there now. There. So I I don't anticipate that will change the water. Just one general question. The change of use, we haven't chatted about the change of use. Is that a material at all or is it just Well, it's the triggering event here, right? But is that is that something to to chat about or is the fact that it's changing from general use

is there something specific about the nature of the change versus just evaluating the new use as a standalone thing. I think we talked a lot about the new use and the access and how people will be in the space and where they'll be sitting and where they will get served and but is there something specific about the the the shift that you're interested in? No, actually not. It's just that we haven't chatted about that. We've been talking about the building and the square footage and the parking, but you know, the fact that it's actually changing, we haven't we haven't chatted about it. I'm I'm fine with Yeah.

And I think I Yeah, I think for me I it's complicated to think about the diff between an old use and a new use. But if we're if we're talking about a new use, then we can kind of evaluate it on its own merits and like what are the things we need to be concerned about? So, as an example with this, what are the what are the intended hours of operation of the of of the of the restaurant? Uh 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 7 am 6 p.m. How is it? Uh not currently that I know of from the tenant.

Um I think we're all excited about a good 7 a.m. getting on the train. Yes. Happen to people on the 651 though. Yeah, I'm happy to chat with T and Angie if the board will set out a bunch of cups on it. The milk bites open at seven. They're in there before the

um this is a kind of curveball question. It's more really sort of more um uh drawing in Jonathan and that is um I'm sure there straightforward answer and I know you're an insurance expert liability up um is the Manitu machine works LLC that's LLC it's a C corp it's a C okay so is that um is that going to be like just in terms of entity structure is that going to be purchasing the the pieces from the village.

Uh, no. So, we do from an entity structure, we do have a new and I've already formed them. I've already created bank accounts and all that kind of stuff. I do have a new LLC that I'll be transferring out of manage out of the current corp into a new clean LLC. Okay. So, so while this is the applicant now, it it won't be the applicant. It won't it won't be the operator. Same exact same ownership,

right? um with the difference being just a change in uh entity but not change in beneficial. So no change in beneficial ownership. Um I'm waiting to do that till after I go through this process. So there's no change in who the owners are at all. Only a change in the entity level that is the ontitle deed record owner. Okay. Then but the it'll be it'll only just be the one entity that that that that owns the current property and then makes new purchases. Correct. Right. Yeah. So Jonathan, are you comfortable with that from a liability perspective?

Yeah, that that's really um beyond uh the scope of site plan review for the most part. That's kind of the uh the owner's prerogative. So um it's not something we really have to worry about. Okay, cool. Okay. Um, all right. Well, I mean, that's all the questions I have. Um, Jonathan, did you have anything else that was top of mind for you?

No, I think, uh, tonight's presentation pretty much covers everything. Um, and I think procedurally, if the board's comfortable, uh, you could go ahead and schedule a public hearing. Yeah, I think with the with the notes given about some additional things to provide some additional detail and making sure we separate those things out. Um yeah, I think I'm comfortable with that. So um should we look at the calendar? I mean we definitely need the um the garbage that information. The first one on the list and I really did kick myself quite thoroughly things that we got to focus on there. So that's Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Really just the um the garbage uh a total square footage for the first floor and then uh whatever square footage is being utilized in the basement. Yep. And like I I'll probably walk the property to see what you were talking about for the garbage because I just want Yeah. Sure. You're you're welcome. I think I think our next meeting is the 11th. Is that right, Abigail? [Music] Yeah. 11th 25th. Uh I believe I am around for vote. Sorry. Yeah. The 11th and the 25th. Uh I'm around for either. Um do we have

I forum for either of those? I will be around the 25th. I will not unfortunately be around the 11th. I shipping it for both. Abigail, does the 11th give you enough um time for everything, especially with the holiday weekend? Oh, yeah. That that's true. It's going to be too tight because Yeah, be too tight. All right, let's let's go ahead and schedule for the 20th. Does that work for you guys?

Uh yeah. jumped there. Uh, I was set to be in DC. Um, because I I think I did this last time where where I asked can we can we try to do the publication faster so that the earlier date does work. I don't know if we succeeded last time. I did ask the favor last time, right? Well, it wouldn't really be ideal. I'm not here the Tuesday after Labor Day.

So, whatever process that would be needed, I don't think that would need the 10day deadline. So, if you are open to two weeks after the 25th, if you're available then, but I am not going to be there September. So, that'll be October 9th. I would be Oh, I'm going to be in Boston. is there. I would probably so between the two I would probably I would change my DC trip in some fashion um to make the 25th work rather than sliding the next two if we don't think we can submit publish.

And I I would just add too um you know you're welcome to attend remotely or um if there's somebody else that's able to uh attend have to to be there in person just for us. Yeah. Um All right. So, All right. So, we'll we'll schedule for the 25th. Okay. Um because I think if we go into October, it sounds like we may be a month beyond the 25th. Yeah. Um does that sound good? Yeah. And we've had other do it remotely. So, that's what you have to do.

Yes. Nice confidence that you will do a better job with your remote presentation than most other applicants. I will try. I teach a lot online, so I I will try to be well. Uh okay. Um well, you know the drill. Uh we'll get um has the sign I do I actually did just find while cleaning my garage the sign from the last one. Is it the same sign?

Like it the template hasn't changed and whatever. So, I've already got the plastic, whatever we call that, um, kind of sign that I can put up and then I think I will receive from you, uh, sort of instructions that include like the you pulled the list of neighbors, I think. Right. And then I've got my letter. I'll go do the sign receipts. Yep. Okay. Um, any other, you know, outside sort of technical board capacity? I'm curious if there is any other feedback or suggestion as community members.

I think I'm I am curious like given the effort the failed effort to to make it a uh a welcome center. Have there's been any thoughts about usage of the space even understanding that the primary use is for uh the restaurant here to have like a community board or anything like that that gives space or some type of nod to that welcome dimension. I think one of the things so it's a great question. Um so I think the the prior plan that I was trying to do with the um uh you know with the welcome center concept

was to create you know there were a few goals that I had that I think also lined up with village goals. One was to create a very good third space right this idea of outside home and outside work where people come together and intersect.

I think this actually is achieving that. Um a second was to create sort of large format space where people can gather from a whether that is you know hub uh classes or gatherings or you know learning how to use Narcan or whether that is you know community center or it's the place that the kids you know right now we all go get our candy at the um at the band stand but maybe there's like a halfway point that also is pass you know so the like community use kind of spaces for classes after school activities that kind of stuff that in this context is up to the tenant to whether they will do that. What I will say is that I had when I, you know, first pivoted off the village welcome center concept. Um, I had a tremendous amount of tenency inquiries as you can sort of imagine from this location, the village.

Um, and spent a lot of time sifting through meeting a ton of people and really there were more lucrative offers sort of in businesses that I wouldn't want right on the main street of my village, you know, as a resident, right? that the business would have performed well financially and sold very fancy things to people that come and buy the very fancy things. But from a community perspective, it sort of like actually robs us of sort of one of the spaces that can be a third space and it doesn't succeed at that

and I passed on all those uh you know sort of tenency things and it did show Ken and Angie. I think they've demonstrated while their space is small, they're very engaged and very warm and very welcoming and I think poised to be with a a space that creates a platform. While I can't obligate them to it, I think they are the people that I've selected and I think they are the people that would do the things that fit within their business and and make sense and bring residents and other people into their business. Um, and then the last, you know, sort of component of the welcome center was bathrooms, right? And sort of creating additional bathroom capacity. Um, and while I was, as odd as it is to say I was excited to create solve bathroom problems for people, I was excited to solve bathroom problems for people.

Um, and I think that I'm I'm sad that that this building didn't become that. Um, we sort of joked before of, you know, when am I buying the next building or something like that and and I do have designs on uh buying some other buildings and I have looked at and already had preliminary discussions around taking that same concept we looked at before and placing it in those buildings that would also similarly be able to help solve some of those. So, I I'm not a dog that lets go of bone easily. I think it's a great idea for our community and I still hope to be able to pull it together, but I can't enforce it fully into the tenant.

You're right. Well, I hate I I hate on Angie's behalf uh that that you know that given the location and the fact they do have bathrooms, they are going to have to they're going to have to figure out what to do about that. Well, I mean well to some degree, right? Like it's it's almost like storm water. like you want to you want to disperse where it's happening

and them you know this being this kind of business versus you know a dispensary or versus a high art thing or a jewelry or a high fashion store these kind of other things that aren't letting people come in and buy a sandwich and a drink and use the facilities instead this is the kind of business that will happily say yes come in here are sandwiches here are drinks there are a bathroom and so it does still take the there's a there's a pun here, but the flow of people that need to flow and and it still disperses that into

I keep remembering after I say these things that this is being recorded. We have quite a big audience too which is subjective and you'll be honest so you'll do whatever you like with the property. Yeah. actually two. One is um uh the you know what while I'm always like about parking because every always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always almost always laugh I'm very about parking I just I just sort of see there being tremendous potential in using that outdoor space just for seating or you know and in terms of providing a public good

I think it in my mind it sort of would over override well there's the safety issue which I'm very concerned found. Um but but then there's there's a I think a fantastic opportunity to to make a lovely space back there. It be a beautiful garden garden seating area and and what a great sort of you know welcoming place. People have got off the train, they've they need to regroup, they go and get coffee, etc. What whatever it is. Yeah. Yeah.

Um and then I just also want to say and I I made an identical comment to um to the folks at um at the depot restaurant and that is you know I really appreciate you're obviously committing a tremendous amount of capital to this. It's a huge investment. Um you know I do similar things and it's just it's a very brave thing to do. So I really admire that you're taking this on and you know putting you know so much you know time and effort and risk.

Yeah. I appreciate that both and and I on the second part, thank you. Um on the first part, I see that as well. I really see that and and perhaps in in sort of the phase two, I'll sort of intentionally incorporate more of that as part of the plan. Um you know, to to do that to create intentional space back there because for all the reasons you you said, you know, I don't even you know, I very much agree with that. See that vision as well. Cool. Yeah. You said currently there's a tenant that's on the second floor and the where there where's the entrance for that uh name what the um it's the same entrance they go in and then they just go up a stairwell. Yeah. It's a straight shot I think.

Yeah. Correct. Yeah. So they'd be going in and out of the of Angie's business. There's like a secondary Yeah. There's sort of a vestibule there but but otherwise Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Any other questions? Um, so I uh there we go. Yeah. So I think we'll go do the publication. I'll go do the letters. We'll put the sign up. Sort of go through those processes on the 25th public hearing. I will attempt to adjust my travel schedule. I hope to be here with you in person. Um, and if not, I'll be on it is not it does not change uh the likelihood the likelihood of approval or

uh Yeah. So don't don't stress don't stress yourself out. Um is there anything else that you anticipate or feel that I should like be I I will very much uh you know partition it into two sections of commentary and discussion. Um anything else that I should you anticipate that I could I wasn't sure if it was clear the square footage of the basement. If you have a floor plan for the basement that would be valuable too. Thank you. Yep. Um I And it doesn't have to be a detailed floor plan either. Yeah. Just something to give us a sense of.

Okay. Wonderful. Thank you. Sorry to keep the evening a little bit, but hopefully you'll it'll be worth it over here when we get there. Yeah.

All right. Thank you. All right. Take care, everyone. Thank you. All right. Uh like

yes. Okay. I'd like to make a motion to schedule the public hearing for 37th Main Street on September 25th. Second. All motion. I'll second it. All in favor? I thank you everyone everybody. You got it. See you next month.