Restaurateur Seeking Zoning Relief To Redevelop Newtown Property

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A Newtown restaurateur, fighting to stay afloat in a challenging economic environment, is scheduled to go before the township’s zoning hearing board on Thursday seeking relief to redevelop a portion of his property on Washington Crossing Road.

Brandon Smith, the owner of Grey Stone Fine Food and Spirits on Route 532, will seek zoning relief to build a single-family home on a lot next to the restaurant, to redevelop an unpaved parking lot across Eagle Road from the restaurant into a Kiddie Academy daycare center, and to add more parking.

On the restaurant side of the road, Smith will be seeking permission to subdivide the 11.9-acre property into two lots to build a house where he will live with his family as the caretaker of the restaurant.

This plan presented by Grey Stone owner Brandon Smith shows the existing restaurant (foreground), the proposed daycare and parking lot (above), and the proposed single-family house (upper right).

Grey Stone Fine Food and Spirits. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

On the restaurant lot, Smith will be seeking two de minimis changes - one for impervious surface coverage from 17.65 up to 19.49 percent as a result of the subdivision of the two properties, and a second to allow a restaurant on 9.64 acres, which is just under the 10 acre minimum that is required.

On the second lot where the home would be built, the envelope for the building is smaller than required due to the irregular shape of the lot and woodlands on the site. They are asking for 17.5 percent disturbance of woodlands where 15 is allowed and a 44.8 percent disturbance of agricultural soils where 25 percent is allowed.

“The reason for doing that is to protect the wetlands behind it, the irregular shape of the lot and it would protect some the woods,” the engineers said.

Across the street, Smith has been approached by Kiddie Academy, which wants to build an education-based child center on the three acre site, part of which is an unpaved parking lot used by the restaurant for overflow parking.

The daycare center would serve up to 116 children and would be set back about 100 feet from the road.

Smith will be seeking a variance to increase the impervious surface from 23 to 36.8 percent. He’ll also need a variance to allow a daycare center on 2.11 acres where five acres are required.

“We don’t see any burden or impact to the public with this project,” Smith’s attorney said. “It’s truly meant to be beneficial for the restaurant owner.”

Smith bought the former Lavender Hall about a decade ago and has since “poured his heart and soul” into the restoration of the property and the creation of a fine dining restaurant, said his lawyer. “It’s a tough time to run a restaurant and he’s still trying to do what he can.”