With plans in limbo for Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar to locate in Brentwood, one councilwoman is asking the council to take a second look to see if the city can still work out a deal.
Though the restaurant’s design plans earned the Planning Commission’s unanimous approval last week, that approval came with some conditions that the developer, LRG Investors, would not agree to, so representatives for the owner made it clear they would walk away.
That’s when Councilwoman Jovita Mendoza stepped in to ask the City Council to reevaluate the commission’s decision and try to work out an agreement. A new hearing is set for September.
“I pulled it for review in order to try to find a way to come to a consensus with him (the owner) and salvage the deal because we really want it,” Mendoza said. “I pulled it so that we can have more discussion and find a way to get to a ‘yes.’ ”
Though anyone can file an appeal of a Planning Commission decision to the City Council to reconsider those conditions, on Friday a spokesperson from the restaurant said the company would not move forward with such an appeal.
“We were very excited with the design plans presented at the (Aug. 15) hearing,” Steve Price, Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar co-founder, said in an email to this newspaper. “The proposed design was representative of our continued brand evolution and we were eager to serve future guests in the Brentwood community.
“It is unfortunate that our plans did not receive approval as proposed, and therefore we cannot move forward at this time. We look forward to our growth across other Bay Area locations and beyond and sharing the Lazy Dog experience with many new communities to come.”
The Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar has long looked to locate in East Contra Costa County. In 2019 it was given the green light to build at the Streets of Brentwood shopping center, but those plans fizzled after a problem arose with the property owner.
Then last week, armed with a new streamlined design and a different parcel across the street, a proposal for a new, slightly larger Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar earned the Planning Commission’s approval as did a request to subdivide the property, which is owned by the State Route 4 Bypass Authority.
The new proposal calls for a 9,089-square-foot restaurant with a 1,508-square-foot patio, a 764-square-foot waiting area, along with 65 shade trees and 176 parking stalls. It also would boast a 31-foot main entrance tower, and diners would be able to bring their dogs and eat on the outside patio.
“It’s been many years that Lazy Dog has been working to come to your town and we’re excited to be coming here now,” Jared Taylor, a company representative, said at the Aug. 15 meeting. “Lazy Dog really provides the opportunity for guests to go have a Rocky Mountain dining experience. Jackson Hole, Wyoming-inspired is the architecture that we bring to you.”
Commissioners, though, questioned some design aspects, most importantly the equipment on the rooftop that might be visible if the parapet — a protective wall on the roof — is not high enough.
But Taylor said the company had already made changes to appease the city.
“We’ve changed the rooftop of the tower,” he said. “You’re going to see this building from all four sides and there’s finishes on all four sides. You know, it’s really going to be a beautiful building here.”
Taylor also pointed out that there was “a huge shakeup” in the construction and development industry because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with supply chain issues and skyrocketing costs. To keep restaurant prices affordable, he said they have had to make some building design changes.
In addition, Taylor said Lazy Dog’s plans meet code requirements.
But Commissioner Dirk Zeigler said the plan looks “significantly different” from the original one.
“We hold our standards pretty high here in Brentwood,” he said. “We like detail. We expect more, and that’s why we ask for it.”
“Lazy Dog Restaurant, like every restaurant, we cannot stay the same as we once were,” Taylor explained, directing commissioners to the restaurant design for Lazy Dog in San Mateo for comparison. “Every restaurant chain goes through an evolution. This is the building that we’re building now. This is in multiple locations.”
“This is a different building, but this is still a beautiful building,” he added. “And I think it’s important to look at the building with the landscape as well, because there is an abundance of landscape we’re proposing, more landscape than the code requires here.”
Commissioner Rod Flohr said that while he thought the building was “good-looking,” he favored increasing the parapet height.
The board later agreed, approving the design and the staff’s recommendations for all but one of a list of design improvements.
The popular chain restaurant, known for its rustic design and comfort foods, recently opened a restaurant in San Mateo, which the Brentwood design mimicked. There are Lazy Dogs in San Jose, Cupertino, Dublin, Newark, Concord and San Mateo/Foster City.
Brentwood Assistant City Manager Darin Gale said the city is still working to secure a deal.
“Residents continue to express interest in having a variety of new restaurants come to town, and Lazy Dog is one of those that they specifically mentioned,” he said in a phone interview. “We’re hopeful that they’ll continue to move a project forward here in Brentwood.”