Planning Board OKs outdoor dining

Artist’s rendering of proposed outdoor seating in front of the Old Firehouse Building in Katonah. BEDFORD PLANNING BOARD

By JEFF MORRIS

The plan to open a new restaurant in the Old Firehouse Building in Katonah got an enhancement this week, when the planning board approved an application for three outdoor tables. It was one of three Katonah applications that the board approved.

Old Katonah Firehouse

Work has been ongoing in the Old Firehouse Building located at 156 Katonah Ave., Katonah, for months. As we reported in February, Aaron Hoffman is leasing the space from owners Chris and Allyson Pachios with a plan to open a third venue for his Wogies Bar and Grill, which has two locations in lower Manhattan.

A new element was added at the April 14 planning board meeting, when Hoffman presented an application for a site plan amendment to add outdoor dining at the front of the building.

Hoffman said they would like to add “three to four tables in the front of the restaurant, to hopefully enjoy some weather if it comes.” He said there is 24 feet in the front, and 45 inches out from the window, “so we have a good amount of space to add.” The area is currently not level, but he said they are going to add concrete to flatten it out.

Board member Michael Tierney raised a number of questions regarding ADA access, how food service comes out, alcohol use out on the street, lighting, proper sidewalk clearance, and use of propane heaters.

The approved plan calls for reinstalling floor to ceiling windows, which would actually be functional doors, in the former firehouse doors. Hoffman specified that there is 45 inches, or 4 feet, of space from the front of the recessed windows to the property line, with 26 inches within the alcove to the edge of the facade. He said it was technically possible to fit two tables facing each other within each window alcove, but the architect felt that was “a little too tight” so instead illustrated a table in each alcove, plus one more in between. That table would be in the area between the two window alcoves, so would be against where the facade juts out.

Hoffman explained that while the window/doors could be opened, that will not be a regular occurrence. He said they will open as folding doors, since traditional firehouse vertical garage doors turned out to be prohibitively expensive and not adequately insulated.

In response to the other questions, he said there would not be any added lighting; there are no plans to use propane heaters, as the tables would only be used when the weather was sufficiently warm; servers would come out the front door, and there would be adequate space for them to work on the level platform, as well as for ADA-compliant access; and while they would be serving alcohol, it will be within the property, not on the public right-of-way. He also said there would be no music speakers outside. Asked about whether there would be music audible from the street when the doors were actually opened, Hoffman said the health department requires air curtains, which would drown out music from inside.

Any board objections melted away as they contemplated the restaurant’s arrival, which they clearly welcomed. 

“Everybody in town is anxious to see this open,” said board Chair Deirdre Courtney-Batson. She said she thought they should start with three tables, as four might be “a little bit too much” to fit in the space.

The board approved the plan, with conditions calling for three tables, six seats, no outdoor speakers, and no heaters.

Asked when they might open, Hoffman said they were awaiting the health department, Con Ed, and a liquor license, so “not too far away. If those guys are nice to us, we will be open within two months.”

Katonah Playcare

Returning to renew a special use permit for the first time since 2018 was Gail Porter of the Katonah Playcare Early Learning Center, located in the Katonah United Methodist Church at 44 Edgemont Road, Katonah. She said they have been there since 1981.

Porter said there have been no changes to the program and no complaints, and presented a number of letters in support from the minister and from neighbors. She said they continue to present parents with a form about the location of legal parking and have them sign it, and monitor parking on an ongoing basis. 

“In the realm of full disclosure, I should say that I have some personal knowledge, although really out of date knowledge,” said Courtney-Batson, “since my son is an alum, but he’s almost 40 years old now, so I don’t think I have any continuing conflict of interest.”

She suggested there should be “rewards for being so consistently on top of what you’re doing, being so concerned about the neighborhood.” She proposed making the renewal for 10 years rather than seven, and the board quickly agreed.

Existing hanging sign at 135 Katonah Ave.

 Initial proposal for new hanging signs at 135 Katonah Ave., which will be modified to reduce their size.

Sign for Katonah Avenue

John Oliva of C&M Sign Company presented a plan for a pair of new hanging signs at 135 Katonah Ave. He said the space had been occupied for many years by attorney Frank Vieth, on the second floor. The landlord would like to split it into two stores, and half the new sign is for Stitch Katonah. 

Oliva proposed using the same bracket and hanging another sign below the first for the second tenant, though that tenant has not yet been found. The existing sign is 22-by-30 inches; he said they normally try to be 10 feet off the ground, which it would be if it were measured from the sidewalk. But there will be less clearance because there are steps, and it would be just above the door. He rejected the idea of hanging it higher because “I didn’t really want to make more holes in the building,” so instead suggested he could cut a few inches off each sign and tighten everything up.

“That might be a good idea,” said Courtney-Batson. “I am a little bit concerned about the extent to which it is going to hang down.”

The board agreed with the proposal to reduce the size of each sign, the only question being about the process by which it could approve the sign permit without having a design for the second sign. It voted to approve the application with the condition that Oliva return for a public review of the second sign’s design once a tenant is found, without there being any additional application fee required.