October 11, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Kids’ café asked to return with better plans, support
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

After a three-hour meeting with the Chestnut Hill Community Association’s Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee, principals of the proposed Treehouse Play Café were asked to return to the LUPZ meeting next month with more detailed plans and signatures of nearby neighbors.

On Oct. 4, Rachael Williams, originator of the proposal, and her design team, architect Alan Metcalfe and Aaron Goldblatt, presented their plans for a play café that would bring together the relaxed atmosphere of a café with a “higher end” children’s play center. Williams described it at the meeting as “Panera Bread meets Gymboree,” because there also will be food such as panninis and pizzas served.

The concept behind the café is to give parents, as much as the children, a place to go and enjoy the company of their contemporaries.

Although the plans Williams presented about the operation of the caféé were detailed, the LUPZ was more concerned with the layout of the caféé’s building and the proposed new construction. Williams and Sanjiv Jain, the owner of the property and president of Legacy Real Estate, are planning to add two floors to the two-story storefront at 8524 Germantown Ave., the former Color Me Mine.

The new construction will extend the building to the edge of the property line, covering 100 percent of its footprint and add a four-story wall to the rear. Only the top of the addition will be visible from most of Germantown Avenue since it will be set back from the front faççade.

The committee was satisfied with the conceptual plans for three of the floors — the first, second and third because the design of each matched the application to Licenses and Inspections.

But the committee was concerned that it did not see a layout for the basement, which will have the restaurant/caféé’s kitchen, and that the plans it saw for the fourth floor differed from those presented to Licenses and Inspections. Williams said she had changed her original plan to make the fourth floor offices, to use as party rooms.

Even with the additional floors, Steven Gendler thought the space, which will total 6,000 sq. ft. (the building currently is 2,800 sq. ft), would be too small for her anticipated operation.

“I don’t think you are anywhere near big enough,” he said. “You should consider buying a Woodmere or something.”

Williams explained that there will be a maximum occupancy for the play space, and, once that is reached, children and parents will have to be turned away. She explained that this was the reason for moving the party rooms to the fourth floor, which would leave more room on the third floor for walk-in customers.

Williams and Jain said the business and restaurant consultants they have worked with were the ones to recommend the space.

“It’s not conjecture, it’s not my personal opinion, but it comes from the experts,” Jain said.

The rear, four-story wall, which will be 45 feet high, concerned Larry McEwen, LUPZ member and chair of the Development and Review Committee. McEwen, who also said he was a neighbor of the project at 28 W. Evergreen Ave., said the wall was just too high.

“People’s backyards are there,” he said. “I do think the fourth floor in the back is worth some consideration.”

After considerable discussion, Metcalfe said he would present designs of a fourth floor set back from the rear at the next meeting.

Also discussed with relation to the project was trash collection, which will be picked up through the alley from Evergreen Avenue — it was undetermined whether a trash truck would have to drive into the alley or the dumpster would be wheeled out to it as happens in many parts of the city, said a waste management company representative present at the meeting.

Also, deliveries will be made from trucks parked in spaces Williams is leasing in the Parking Foundation’s lot next to the former Wawa on Highland Avenue.

An arguably non-zoning-related issue discussed at the meeting was the caféé’s plan to obtain a liquor license. Williams insisted numerous times at the meeting that the license was essential to the success of the business. She plans to have small corporate parties to help supplement business, and liquor sales are an integral part of that, she said.

“I really need to be able to have catered events,” Williams said at the LUPZ meeting.

“If I don’t have that financial stream, then I’m going to have to push the numbers hard,” said Williams, who is seeking investors to fund the project.

Harriet Brumberg, an LUPZ committee member, asked how the tables were going to be monitored so kids are not running up to left-alone glasses of wine and sipping.

“It seems different than the controlled circumstance in a restaurant booth,” Gendler chimed in to arguments that most restaurants serve alcohol at dinner.

Williams said there would be monitors on each floor, watching children in and out of the play areas, and that it was the parents’ responsibility to watch their children and their drinks, if they have them.

Williams said she was worried more about kids tipping and sipping hot beverages than the wine, which is why all hot drinks will be in screw-top thermos-like cups. Williams said she could consider doing the same or something similar with the alcoholic beverages too.

During the public input part of the meeting, most of the 50-some people present supported the caféé’s concept.

Many were mothers who had attended a gathering at the Chestnut Hill Coffee Company before the LUPZ meeting, which was held across the street at the Chestnut Hill Baptist Church.

The “party” was organized by Williams and Jain to allow local mothers to learn about the project. Some who attended were admittedly Williams’ friends.

Many of the mothers said at that gathering that there was a need for this type of caféé.

Alyssa Barrick, a 35-year-old mother of one from Chestnut Hill, said she didn’t know Williams but came to hear more about the project.

“We wanted to find out a little bit more about what the plans were,” she said, having heard about it on an e-mail listserv she belongs to.

“It’s a unique idea that fills an untapped niche,” said Lizza Robb, owner of Cresheim Cottage and mother of 4-year-old Spencer.

“If it was just a playhouse, I would bring my daughter, or if it was just a restaurant, I would come,” she said. “But without having to pay for childcare nor sacrifice adult time, it’s just the perfect situation.”

At the LUPZ meeting, some parents spoke out.

“Community support is critical for any type of progressive idea like this, and there are a lot of families here to support Rachael [Williams],” said Kristin Fairweather, a 32-year-old mother of 18-month-old Addison.

A local business owner, Amy Edelman of The Night Kitchen at 7725 Germantown Ave., said the caféé would be good for Chestnut Hill.

“Lately the Avenue has seen a bunch of new businesses that are helping reinvigorate the business,” she said. “This will be good for foot traffic.”

LUPZ committee member Gendler agreed that it was an “exciting concept,” but pointed out that the LUPZ has to look at the “nuts and bolts of project” as it pertains to zoning and land use.

L&I is requiring five zoning variances for Williams to be able to go forward with the project — one for the property’s use, since a restaurant is not allowed in its C-1 zoning; one for the expanse of the building after the addition is added, which would cover 100 percent of the property’s footprint; one for the rear yard depth which will go to 0; and the last two relate to the floor additions, since only three are allowed and she is requesting four and the height will be 10 feet above the maximum.

The LUPZ committee said it felt comfortable approving the use variance for the caféé after all their questions were answered, but couldn’t make an official motion without the consideration of the neighbors’ opinion, which they did not have yet.

A motion was made to accept the project as submitted, providing that neighbors approved of the project, which would move the project to the DRC. But, after discussion, that was easily voted down when it was determined that there were not enough architectural details presented and there was concern over the four-story rear wall.

“There is still considerable design development to be done,” Gendler said. “We embrace the concept, but would like to see how it might be much more functional.”

Another motion was made to accept the use variance subject to review of the neighbors letters, with a strong urge that the “massing” of the rear of the building be reconsidered, and that there would be satisfaction with dumpster storage and pickup. It was passed unanimously, with a decision that the project be presented again to the LUPZ committee at its Nov. 1 meeting.

More information on the proposed caféé is available online at .

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or Kristin@chestnuthilllocal.com.