The Design Advisory Board (DAB) on Tuesday, November 12, is scheduled to review the architectural and landscaping aspects of a proposed Botsford restaurant expansion project. The DAB session is slated for 7 pm at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

The project involves the proposed sale of a one-half acre lot in a B-2 (General Business) zone. That lot holds a 701-square-foot business known as Botsford Drive-In at 282 South Main Street (Route 25). The property is now owned by Botsford Drive-In LLC.

Applicant RGM Newtown LLC of Middlebury wants to buy the property and then expand the building by 1,292 square feet to create a 1,992-square-foot restaurant with drive-through window service.

Because Botsford Drive-In, a restaurant which now has a drive-through window, was in existence in 1958 when the Town of Newtown enacted zoning regulations, the drive-through window is considered to be a pre-existing non-conforming land use, and is thus allowed by the zoning regulations.

The only other eatery in town which has drive-through window service is Starbucks Coffee at 75 Church Hill Road, which opened for business earlier this year. The Starbucks drive-through is the only eatery drive-through which has been approved by the P&Z since 1958.

George Benson, town planning director, said that because the proposed expansion at 282 South Main Street is less than 1,500 square feet, the project is not subject to review by the P&Z. The technical review of the project, which would be known as Patty’s Pantry Newtown, is being conducted by town staff members, Mr Benson said. A related business known as Patty’s Pantry is located at 1224 Strongtown Road (Route 188) in Southbury.

The engineer for the Newtown project is Solli Engineering of Monroe. Valerie White of White Architects of Monroe is the architect.

Engineering drawings for the project indicate that the expansion would occur to the south of the existing structure. The food pickup window at Patty’s Pantry would be located in the newly constructed space and would face southward. Motorists using the drive-through would drive around the expanded building, following a route along its north, west, and south sides. Floor plans for the project indicate that the facility would have some seating for patrons.

The DAB, which is comprised of architects and landscape architects, critically reviews proposed commercial architecture, making suggestions on how to improve the appearance of projects. The redevelopment site lies in the area covered by South Main Village Design District (SMVDD) zoning, an area that is subject to DAB review.