Commission Approves New Bistro For Townsend Street

A new Italian restaurant has been approved for Townsend Street, pending resolution of issues about how plans for outdoor dining will affect parking and traffic.

The Birmingham City Commission approved the final site plan and special land use permit Monday for Bella Piatti, a restaurant from the owners of .

Bella Piatti will be located at 167 Townsend St., between Henrietta and Pierce and across from the entrance to the . The existing building is vacant.

The commission also approved the restaurant's request for a liquor license. The measure passed 5-2, with Commissioners George Dilgard and Rackeline Hoff opposed.

The public hearing lasted long into the night, with city commissioners discussing various details and representatives from neighboring businesses opposing the project.

Approval comes with some strings attached

Ultimately, the commission approved the measure, but only if the owner, Mindy VanHellemont, eliminates plans to construct a vestibule that would extend from the front door, preserve one of the existing sidewalk trees and adjust the layout of an outdoor dining platform.

Several issues with the plan were raised throughout the evening. The first was ensuring the restaurant follow city ordinances and code. That put the vestibule on the chopping block.

According to project architect Frank Cavernole, the vestibule would be used only in winter to shield the front of the restaurant and its customers. Considering the structure would leave more than the required five feet of pedestrian walking space, the structure is not a code violation.

However, when the permit was discussed at the Oct. 27 Planning Board meeting, the city's  noted that the vestibule couldn't be built on city property or in the public right-of-way.

Outdoor dining platform becomes the big issue

The biggest item of contention became the outdoor dining platform. VanHellemont told commissioners that the extra space was critical to profit margins.

"Without the platform, I can only sit six people outside," she said. "My concern is I would go from sitting 24 people outside to six. It's not economically feasible."

VanHellemont said bistro licenses — what Bella Piatti applied for in early 2010 — allow outdoor dining. The city defines a bistro as a restaurant with a full-service kitchen, seating for no more than 65 inside and additional space for outdoor dining. The city approves only two bistro licenses a year.

Bella Piatti's plans include 62 seats inside, six on the sidewalk and 20 on the platform. The platform would take up two parking spaces directly in front of the restaurant between April and November.

Townsend Hotel raises safety, noise issues

Alan Greene, representing the Townsend Hotel, said the platform is a safety concern. Townsend Street is narrow, he said, leaving customers to brush elbows with the limousines, taxis and tour buses that regularly drop off hotel visitors. With additional traffic from the restaurant, things would only get worse, he said.

"You have to understand that the current traffic will be increased," Greene said.

In addition, Greene said, hotel managers are concerned about the potential noise level once Bella Piatti opens and what this means for hotel guests sleeping across the street.

"This is essentially a quiet street," Greene said. "There will be noises, and there will be complaints … Everyone respects Tallulah and the operators of Tallulah. But this seems to indicate to me that this is the wrong location for a (dining) platform."

Neighboring businesses worry about parking

For David Klein, owner of the at 162 Townsend, and Ray Fleming, manager of the at 107 Townsend, the biggest problem  would be parking.

"The loss of more parking would be an intolerable burden to my business," Klein wrote in a letter to the commission.

Fleming said this  stretch of Townsend is unique in Birmingham. "The income there is probably greater than a lot of the businesses downtown," Fleming said, referring to the art galleries, salons, spas and the Townsend Hotel. "We are a street of five-star businesses and we have a five-star clientele." That clientele enjoys how quiet and out-of-the way Townsend Street is, Fleming said, but what they especially love is the easy parking. Parking, he said, is "key to the ambiance of the street."

Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Nickita said that no Birmingham business enjoys a monopoly on parking, and that the alternate plans won't work.

VanHellemont said, "I love the block. I love the quality of people on the block. We're certainly not people who want to go in and mess up Birmingham. Look at Tallulah. We've become a regional destination."

Commissioner Scott Moore agreed. "I believe this can work for the street and for the betterment of the businesses."

Ultimately, commissioners asked for:

• moving the platform at least one foot closer to the storefront
• no vestibule
• revision of outdoor seating to accommodate the tree

The group will bring the revised plan back to the City Commission, most likely before the end of the year.