Commission OKs Damon’s BBQ Expansion On Main Street

FARMINGTON — A new development next to Briar Rose Cafe and Deli on Main Street in Farmington will include a new restaurant, another building for retail shops and a pavilion.

Farmington Planning Commission, voting 4-2, approved the large-scale development plan for the property, called Farmington Village, at its Aug. 28 meeting.

Engineer Geoffrey Bates with Bates & Associates presented the plan on behalf of Larry Bowden with Briar Rose. Bates said Bowden proposes to expand Damon’s BBQ & Grill and install a patio for the restaurant, along with building a new shopping center. A large parking lot will be installed in front of the facilities.

“It will be a nice development for Farmington,” Bates told the Planning Commission.

Planners Gerry Harris and Judy Horne voted against the plan based on a recommendation from city engineer Chris Brackett not to approve the current plan because the design for the detention pond was not final.

Brackett’s letter to the Commission noted the city’s Drainage Critieria Manual requires the detention pond design to be a “final” design as part of the preliminary drainage report submitted along with the large-scale development plan.

Brackett said he believes the

detention pond needs to be larger, which would mean other changes would have to be made to the large-scale development plan.

“I’m still not confident 100 percent it’s going to work,” Bracket said. “What I was given did not make a lot of sense. I think it would be a major change and you would want to see it again.”

Bates said he submitted the wrong numbers for the pond’s design and was confident he could get it to work. He asked the Commission to approve the large-scale development plan contingent on Brackett’s recommendations being satisfied.

“I’ve run the numbers and I know it’s going to work,” Bates said. “I’m 100 percent confident of that.”

The expansion of Damon’s first came up for discussion last fall. Bowden asked to be exempt from installing a paved parking lot for a timber pavilion he planned to build on the property located between Briar Rose and Dollar General Store. The Commission denied his request in November 2016. His proposal has not come up again since then.

Harris wondered why Bates couldn’t wait another month and bring back a final design in September to meet the requirements of the ordinance. Bates’ reply was that Bowden wanted to move ahead with his plans.

Bates said he had submitted plans for the detention pond’s design and Brackett did not review the latest plan until the day of the Commission meeting. Brackett’s response to this was that he had given Bates extra opportunities to make the changes and the changes were not what he requested.

“I’m just riding with what the ordinance says,” Brackett told commissioners. “This is what you pay me to do.”

The Commission approved the large-scale development plan, contingent on the plan complying with Brackett’s recommendations. If those recommendations are not met, the project cannot move forward and Bates would have to come back to the Planning Commission.

In other action, the Commission denied a variance from street improvements for a multi-family development on Old Farmington Road. The development, called Old Farmington Road Townhouses, proposes a three-plex building and a four-plex building.

Bates, representing owner Cedar Mountains LLC, said the rest of Old Farmington Road does not have street improvements and it didn’t appear the road would be improved in the future. He asked to be exempt from building a sidewalk and installing curb and gutter along the street in front of the property.

Melissa McCarville, city business manager, said the city usually did not recommend these variances for city streets.

Commissioner Gerry Harris added, “I agree with Melissa. We have to start somewhere.”

Harris said she wanted sidewalks and Bates said the owner was OK with sidewalks but not curb and gutter.

Harris asked why and Bates answered because of the expense.

The Commission voted 6-0 against the variance request.

The large-scale development plan for the townhouses also was on the Commission’s agenda but Bates asked for it to be tabled.

In addition, the Commission approved a variance for a lot size in Twin Falls subdivision at the request of Jeremy Scott and Jennifer Sharpshair. The Planning Commission denied this request last month but Jeremy Sharpshair brought additional information to the meeting last week. The vote had several contingencies that must be met before the city would issue a building permit for the lot.