The Design Advisory Board (DAB) has made a series of aesthetic recommendations on a project that would convert and expand what has been known for decades as the Botsford Drive-In at 282 South Main Street (Route 25) into a new business known as Patty’s Pantry Newtown, with drive-through window service.

A related business known as Patty’s Pantry is located at 1224 Strongtown Road (Route 188) in Southbury.

The DAB met on November 12 to review the design plans for the project, which would involve the sale of the one-half acre lot and business from owner Botsford Drive-In LLC to buyer RGM Newtown LLC of Middlebury. The property is a B-2 (General Business) zone on the west side of South Main Street, south of its intersection with Cold Spring Road.

In the project, the existing 701-square-foot restaurant would be expanded by 1,292 square feet to create a 1,992-square-foot restaurant with drive-through window service. Botsford Drive-In has facilities which allow motorists who are seated in their vehicles to speak into an outdoor microphone to order prepared food, after which an eatery employee brings the food to their parked vehicles, according to DAB records.

For the purposes of the town’s zoning regulations, such an arrangement constitutes “drive-through service” for the fast food eatery. Because the outdoor ordering system was in place before town zoning regulations took effect in 1958, the ordering system there was allowed to continue as a pre-exisiting nonconforming use.

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 that has been approved by the P&Z since 1958.

Notably, because the proposed building expansion at 282 South Main Street is less than 1,500 square feet, the project is not subject to review by the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z). The technical review of the project is being conducted by town staff members.

Unlike the Botsford Drive-In, the new expanded facility would have a conventional drive-through window ordering system. Also, the casual fast-food restaurant would have some stools indoors where patrons would sit while eating meals at counters, as well as six picnic tables outdoors.

Besides the building’s expansion, the site would have a new stormwater drainage system installed, a repaved parking lot, and new landscaping elements.

At the November 12 DAB session, architect Valerie White displayed the materials that would be used in the new construction. The expanded building would have a horse barn motif with gray and brown coloration, according to DAB records

Discussion at the session included the topics of drive-through facilities, site/building lighting, signage, landscaping, fencing, garbage storage, mechanical equipment, and stone veneers, among others.

DAB members made a series of recommendations to the town Land Use Agency concerning the appearance of the facility.

George Benson, town planning director, said November 19 that he is awaiting revised plans for the project which would reflect the DAB’s recommended changes.

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

Engineering drawings indicate that the building expansion would occur to the south of the existing structure. The food pickup window at Patty’s Pantry Newtown 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 sequential route along its north, west, and then south sides.

The DAB 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) overlay zoning, an area that is subject to DAB review.