GREENFIELD – Plans for an Olive Garden restaurant in Greenfield are moving forward.
The casual dining restaurant chain intends to develop the new eatery at 1585 N. State St. after demolishing the building that housed a Ponderosa Steakhouse up until a couple years ago.
According to plans filed with the Greenfield Plan Commission, the Olive Garden will be about 6,500 square feet, seat 250 and have 30 employees on its largest shift. Plans call for 93 parking spaces onsite, but there will also be a shared parking agreement with Brandywine Plaza across Melody Lane to the east.
Kourtnie Airheart of CDS Development, working with Olive Garden as its development consultant, said at a city plan commission meeting earlier this week that the chain looks forward to being in the community.
“If all goes as planned, the construction start date is anticipated next summer, with the completion and opening hopefully the following winter – so winter 2023 opening hopefully,” Airheart said.
The plan commission approved a development plan for the project with several modifications allowing it to stray from standards outlined in city code. One includes permitting the building to set back from State Street 140 feet as opposed to the maximum of 60 feet. Greenfield planning director Joan Fitzwater noted the goal of the city’s current code, established long after the Ponderosa went up in 1986, is to pull buildings forward to make the community more walk-able and human-scale friendly. But she also acknowledged most marketing plans for retail establishments call for visible parking in front of buildings.
“The overall proposal is consistent and compatible with other existing businesses,” Fitzwater said. “The redevelopment of the site as well as the demolition of a building past its prime will greatly improve our streetscape.”
Plan commission members agreed, with Kristi Baker, Becky Riley, Chris Cooper, Gary McDaniel, Jason Koch, David Spencer and Mike Terry voting in favor of the development plan and modifications. Jeff McClarnon and Paulette Richardson were absent.
