Title
Use Permit Application by Azad Haji to Operate a Restaurant without a Drive-Through with an Alcoholic Beverage License at 1405 E Pembroke Avenue [LRSN: 12003335]
Purpose
Background Statement:
This use permit application is a request to allow a restaurant with a retail alcoholic beverage license to operate beyond the hours of beyond 6 AM to 10 PM. The subject property, 1405 E Pembroke Avenue [LRSN 12003335], is zoned Limited Commercial (C-2) District, Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) District, and One Family Residential (R-9) District with the restaurant and associated parking located within the C-2 and C-1 districts. This application was originally heard by the Planning Commission on April 15, 2021. The Commission deferred the application to the June 17, 2021 meeting to allow time for additional operational history, allowing the applicant to demonstrate compatibility with the neighborhood and compliance with city codes after initially being found to operate beyond the permitted hours.
The existing business is Pharaoh’s Bar and Hookah, which is currently permitted to operate until 10 PM under a zoning administrator permit as allowed for by the zoning ordinance. The applicant is proposing to expand the hours past 10 PM which requires the use permit. The previous uses of this property were also restaurants; Crabtown Raw Bar & Grill, and Jack’s Family Restaurant. The Hampton Community Plan (2006, as amended) recommends commercial use for the subject property as part of a corridor in this area of East Pembroke Avenue. The policies in the City’s comprehensive plan related to this request support nurturing and redeveloping small businesses on underutilized commercial properties.
The hookah portion of the restaurant operates similarly to a standard smoking section in a restaurant where the ventilation system is completely separate from the non-smoking dining area, with separate exterior entrances for each area and a self-sealing door between the two areas. Food ...
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