A new restaurant could soon neighbor a popular dining and music establishment in Pine Grove Mills.
On Monday, the Ferguson Township Planning Commission recommended granting two waiver requests for submitted plans for a proposed restaurant at 125 E. Pine Grove Rd. A preliminary land development plan, which has not been finalized, calls for the conversion of the property into a new eatery that will directly neighbor Pine Grove Hall.
Details for the new eatery are sparse, but Pine Grove Hall owner Liz Grove, who submitted the preliminary land development plan to Ferguson Township, says the restaurant could boast a “cozy” atmosphere that reflects the “rural revival” of Pine Grove Mills.
“The concept is still in development, but it will complement what we are doing at Pine Grove Hall – including a menu that uses locally sourced ingredients that help maintain farmland and green space in our community,” Grove said. “A few more words come to mind… Plants, stargazing, gardens, and connections with others. That’s all part of the vision.”
Preliminary land development plans show 500 square feet reserved for indoor dining, plus nearly 1,200 square feet of outdoor dining divided into spaces of 323 and 870 square feet. Plans also include an outdoor cooking area with a pizza oven and a paved parking lot with 19 spaces. Notably, plans would call for the conversion of the property, including its house, without the need for demolition.
The first waiver request recommended for approval by the planning commission on Monday removes the requirement to construct a sidewalk along Sparrow Alley, which ends at the rear of the property and doesn’t connect to any neighboring sidewalks or roads.
The second accommodation waives a requirement for 21 total parking spaces, instead lowering the requirement to 19 total spaces. According to the request, a lot with 21 spaces “does not make sense for the intended use of the building and the property is not large enough for the two additional spaces.” Street parking is also available along Pine Grove Road to further accommodate guests.
Commission member Bill Keough, who said he approves of the proposed restaurant’s site modifications, said repeat requests for modifications to current zoning requirements could necessitate code changes in the future.
“There are a number of challenges that the committee has that, probably, will be coming through to us because they involve some of the zoning issues that exist in Pine Grove Mills,” Keough said at Monday’s meeting. “This appears, to me, to be an opportunity for at least an investment on the part of a business operation to provide a service in Pine Grove Mills that would be a part of that revitalization concept. So, from that perspective, some of those lots that we’re going to deal with in the future, because of the zoning, are not minimally large enough to deal with some of the particulars that the business end of things might demand. I think we’re going to see either a change in the zoning requirement for parking or an increase in the number of modifications in this particular area that we’re going to be asked for.”
“I really would want to say that I support this and this effort by the citizens of Pine Grove and the township to upgrade that particular residential area,” Keough continued. “It’s a pretty unique place… I think there are some other things that are planned for — whether they happen or not — that will require private dollars, but this is one of them, and I think this is a good idea.”
The proposed Pine Grove Road restaurant must still receive land development plan approval before advancing.
Should plans receive approval, the proposed restaurant will likely serve as an extension of Grove’s operations at Pine Grove Hall, which opened in 2020 next-door at 101 E. Pine Grove Rd. Now with a new dinner menu, the upscale casual restaurant and bar place an emphasis on locally sourced food from approximately 30 nearby farmers and purveyors.
Pine Grove Hall’s offerings this winter will include a monthly “tasting dinner” that will highlight a local farm or producer each month, starting with a Feb. 15 dinner featuring Blackbranch Farm owners Chris and Amber Hench. The restaurant also boasts new casual fare and dinner menus, as well as a brunch service that runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this winter. Additionally, a series of “social hour” events from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays will feature small plates, drink features and live music.
