Update: Stratford Gardens Site Plan approved

December 20, 2023. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the revised site plan for a restaurant to be constructed at the old Stratford motel site (4-0). Minor changes were made primarily to plant trees at ground level instead of planter boxes and improvements to the Broad Street side of the building. This project will reduce the existing impervious area by 12%.

Stratford Gardens approved site plan in color — Approved Site Plan for Stratford Gardens

Rendition of Stratford Gardens viewed from Little Falls St — Rendition viewed from Little Falls Street

Revised Stratford Gardens Broad St elevation — Revised Broad St elevation

Stratford Gardens first site plan review

At the November 1, 2023, Planning Commission meeting, a new site plan submission to renovate the old Stratford Motor Lodge into a restaurant was discussed. The motel closed in 2021 and the property has been vacant since then. The restaurant project is called the Stratford Gardens, at least for now. The project was proposed by a team that included the owners of Dominion Wine and Beer in Falls Church and the current owners of the motel property.

Site plan waivers requested

This development only requires the site plan to be approved. The developers are seeking the following waivers on the site plan:

Parking lot landscaping waivers
Lighting waiver
Parking reduction waiver
Off Street Loading Space waiver

A few words from the developer

Arash Tafakor, one of the owners of Dominion Wine and Beer, introduced the project to the Planning Commissioners. He said that they were approached in 2022 with the idea of developing a restaurant with beautiful green space in this location. He is looking forward to creating a place that will serve great food, give great customer service and be able to contribute to this City. He is grateful for the support of the City residents and wants to be able to give back to a city that has given him and his family so much. The video is 1m 13s long.

Overview of the Site

Stratford Motor Lodge photo — Stratford Motor Lodge

The 0.72 acre property is located on the corner of West Broad Street and Little Falls Street, across the street from the Harris Teeter building. It is comprised of two buildings, shown in the picture above – the lobby and La Caraqueña restaurant building (in the foreground) and a long building of motel rooms (partially visible on the right). The long building will be demolished. The remaining lobby section, situated near the street corner, will be renovated and extended to form the restaurant. There will be a large area of outdoor dining wrapped around two sides of the building. This open area is partially covered.

Stratford Gardens site plan 110123 — Proposed Stratford Gardens restaurant site plan

Planning Commission comments

Excitement and enthusiasm for the project

The Commissioners were unanimously enthusiastic about this development. Commissioner Andrea Caumont said that it was the kind of community gathering place that was needed in the City. Commissioner Derek Hyra liked that the developers were keeping some of the old structure and hoped that they would be able to create something edgy out of a motel that was once known for homelessness, drug dealing and prostitution.

The Commissioners told Mr. Tafakor that his team had demonstrated that they knew how to deliver a successful restaurant in Dominion Wine and Beer. They would support his efforts to deliver another successful restaurant here.

More trees and lights in the parking lot, please

Commissioners Robert Puentes and Brent Krasner were not in favor of the parking lot landscape waivers and would like to see trees and landscaping on the north side of the parking lot. The site currently has no trees, and the new development would plant 10 canopy trees and 7 understory trees (12.8% tree canopy). Commissioner Krasner pointed out that good lighting would be needed in the parking lot for safety reasons.

The Commissioners wondered if more could be done to make the West Broad side of the restaurant look interesting. Commissioner Sharon Friedlander said that she had been excited by the idea of a restaurant called “garden”, picturing a place of tranquility, an escape from the bustle of West Broad Street. She saw a lot of potential for the west side of the design to create something that felt like an oasis. She hoped the architects would continue to develop the outdoor and landscaping design there.