Culver Pizza Restaurant May Expand Location

Plans are in their preliminary stages, but the Culver Plan Commission may help decide whether a local restaurant can expand their current location.

Papa’s Pizza, located in the 800 block of North Lake Shore Drive, has submitted plans to add onto their kitchen and provide additional seating for customers.

Culver Building Commissioner Russ Mason says that to make the expansion, the business would need to rezone itself from C-2 to C-1

“Well we basically designate C-1 for what we consider the uptown, or downtown, business areas, so there isn’t a lot of call for that, except in the downtown, or uptown, business areas and Papa’s is kind of an extension of what we consider the uptown area,” says Mason.

Representatives of Papa’s Pizza declined comment on the matter until discussions are further along.

Mason says the change removes setback requirements on land the business owns, making room for the expansion.

“It would allow them to put an addition on their business towards the west – which right now, they have a setback from the road, and this would allow them to come further towards the road,” says Mason.

The zoning change also reduces the parking requirements per unit of seating inside the restaurant.

Once discussions have taken place, the Plan Commission would need to hold a public hearing. The matter would also require the approval of the Culver Town Council.

Mason suspects that if the Town finds the change favorable, it be approved as early as March.