Bruster’s Real Ice Cream gets FMPC site plan nod
Being located south of Home Federal Bank and west of First Watch off Parkside Drive, near Publix, Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said, “This property is actually the last undeveloped tract in the Turkey Creek development.
“It fronts on North Campbell Station Road, but it doesn’t have access on North Campbell Station,” he added. “It will be accessed through a joint access easement just to the east of Home Federal Bank.
“It’s a pre-padded lot already.” Shipley also said the layout includes a long drive-thru, which provides significant area for vehicle stacking.
“The building is roughly 1,600 square feet with a 2,900-square-foot patio area for outdoor seating,” he said. “It will be a real popular place, particularly in the summer time, I’m sure.
“People can dine in or go to the pick-up window, like they did on Northshore Drive,” Shipley added about Bruster’s. “Or, they can also get (ice cream) through the drive-thru.
“The site plan’s pretty straightforward. They only have a few comments (the applicants need to address) from the staff’s perspective.”
All of those “are reminders of requirements we have, like letter of credit … things like that,” Shipley said. “This area (previously zoned Office and now zoned General Commercial) was rezoned and replatted a few months ago in anticipation of this development. The buffer strip was 50 feet, originally, and it was reduced to 35 feet.”
“One of the things they’re doing with this project — to meet our low-impact development requirements since it was kind of already pre-graded and stormwater system already pre-planned — they are going to add a lot of trees … that will help absorb the stormwater,” Shipley added.
“That is actually a low-impact development measure.”
Additionally, plans call for a sidewalk connection up to the sidewalk that stubs in to the access easement from First Watch area.
Commissioner Louise Povlin asked if there was any way stairs could be added to the bank between Bruster’s and North Campbell Station Road, adding she could envision people climbing the hill to get to the restaurant.
However, “the property along Campbell Station Road is a real steep bank, so really putting a sidewalk connection down to the sidewalk on Campbell Station Road was just too much grade to deal with, and really the benefit is minimal,” Shipley said.
When FMPC member Ron Pinchok asked about the restaurant’s front facing Campbell Station Road while the building’s back faces First Watch, Stephanie Genua, project manager for R2R Studio Inc. who represented the franchise owner, replied, “I think the intent was the majority of the view will be from Campbell Station.”
She added the patio would be facing Campbell Station while the parking lot would be behind the building.
“The intent was to orient (the building) toward a more public view,” Genua said.
