The patio will be built on the east side of the restaurant in an area the restaurant used for temporary outdoor dining during the pandemic.
May 25, 2023 3:00 am EDT | Updated May 25, 2023 3:13 am EDT
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Applebee’s is the latest township restaurant to secure permission from the township to create a permanent patio for outdoor dining.
On Wednesday night, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to approve plans by the eatery to build an 800 square foot patio extension at the West Road eatery.
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The patio will be built on the east side of the restaurant in an area the restaurant used for temporary outdoor dining during the pandemic.
The addition of the patio will require some interior renovations, including the removal of four six high tops from inside the restaurant to create an interior access to the new patio.
“This proposes no increase to the building’s square footage, to its off street parking count nor to the existing seat count,” design engineer Chris Lang told the supervisors.
Two variances were granted for the project by the zoning hearing board for impervious coverage and for front yard setback.
As part of the approval, Applebee’s agreed to use native plants to landscape the patio area. A number of street trees will also be added to enhance the buffering between the patio and the Newtown Bypass.
Last month, the Blue Point Grill, a seafood house slated to open in July, also secured approval from the township to expand an existing outdoor dining patio space.
And last year the township gave Piccola Trattoria permission to expand its restaurant in the Newtown Shopping Center and to create an outdoor dining area at the far end of the shopping center.
Since COVID-19, requests from patrons have spiked for outdoor dining options. And municipalities around the county are considering similar requests for amended development plans.
In other business at Wednesday night’s meeting, the supervisors voted to send its solicitor to the June 1 zoning hearing board meeting to oppose an appeal by DeLuca Construction to subdivide a three acre lot at 70 Twining Bridge Road into two lots where only one is permitted under the
Conservation Management Zone (CMZ).
Land development attorney Joe Blackburn said that it needs two lots to recoup the cost from the anticipated demolition of a “dilapidated” existing farmhouse, which he said will be costly due to the amount of asbestos abatement that will be required.
“We truly can’t put a single house on a lot based on the remediation costs associated with the property. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, which are not recoverable with a single family home,” said Blackburn.
The supervisors had previously voted to send a letter to the zoning board opposing the relief. On Wednesday night the board voted 4 to 1 to also send its solicitor in opposition.
“I’m in favor of maintaining the letter of the law with regard to our ordinances,” said Supervisor John Mack.
Chairman Dennis Fisher voted to oppose the motion.
During public comment, Bill Mahler, who chairs the township’s Joint Historic Commission, commended the supervisors for voting to send its solicitor to the hearing. “It is important to uphold the ordinances,” he said.
“As far as the structures on that property, I am deeply concerned about the three 170 year old structures built by the Twining family who originally bought that land in 1695 and passed it down through at least nine generations.
“I would deeply contest Mr. Blackburn’s comment about the advance state of dilapidation. I was in those properties six years ago when this came up. I was in them again recently. And they are actually in a very salvageable condition and in a position to be preserved.”