The Fort Worth City Council on Oct. 27 approved plans by Colorado-based Aspen Hospitality Group to open a 2,396-square-foot Japanese steakhouse at 2509 Merrick St., near Camp Bowie Boulevard. The site, at Merrick and Birchman Avenue north of Interstate 30, has been a vacant lot since the prior building was demolished earlier this year. Aspen officials said on their website that the restaurant's name and menu are still in development.
Developers asked to amend the site's planned development zoning to allow neighborhood commercial uses. According to a city staff report, the site's proximity to two-family zoning triggers the city's minimum parking requirements. The city requires 24 spaces. A development waiver allows 19 spaces, and developers have an agreement for five more spaces with an adjacent property owner.
Officials said the parking agreement will end if the restaurant is vacant for more than 180 days without a building permit. City staff wrote that the parking and landscaping meet the zoning ordinance, except for the termination clause in the parking agreement and a 4-foot front yard fence.