Billiken’s Smokehouse Seeks To Expand Outdoor Dining Area

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Billiken’s Smokehouse has filed a major site plan amendment with the City of Fredericksburg to expand its operations downtown. The proposed project aims to enhance the restaurant's footprint through significant upgrades to outdoor dining and site accessibility.

The applicant seeks to construct a 1,550-square-foot roof structure over an exterior bar area, a second (uncovered) bar area, stage, brick patio with outdoor seating, and related infrastructure at its existing location at 623 Caroline St. in the city's historic district.

The application, designated as SPMAJ2603-0059, outlines several key changes intended to improve the customer experience and operational efficiency:

• Outdoor Dining Enhancement: The primary focus of the amendment is the expansion of the existing outdoor seating area to accommodate more guests.
• Parking Optimization: To facilitate the larger footprint, the developer proposes a reconfiguration of the parking layout within the Cowan Station development to ensure continued compliance with city standards while maximizing space.
• Landscape Integration: New landscaping is planned to integrate the expanded dining area with the surrounding environment, improving the overall aesthetic of the commercial corridor.
• Infrastructure Adjustments: Minor adjustments to internal access roads and pedestrian paths are included to ensure safe and efficient circulation around the new facilities.

The project is located within a busy retail and medical hub near the corner of Cowan Boulevard and Jefferson Davis Highway. Fredericksburg’s Planning Department is currently reviewing the proposal to ensure it meets the city's Unified Development Ordinance and traffic management guidelines. A date for a public hearing on the site plan amendment has not yet been set.

Based on the zoning application for Billiken’s Smokehouse at Cowan Station, the following traffic impact data and parking adjustments have been identified:

Traffic Impact Data

• Trip Generation Analysis: A trip generation analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of the restaurant's expansion.
• Impact of Expansion: The analysis determined that the proposed addition of outdoor dining and floor area would result in a negligible increase in vehicle trips.
• Traffic Thresholds: Because the increase in traffic is minimal, the project does not meet the city's threshold for a full Traffic Impact Analysis.
• Operational Levels: Surrounding intersections and site entrances are expected to maintain their current levels of service without significant degradation due to the expansion.

Parking Adjustments

• Parking Reconfiguration: The project involves reconfiguring a portion of the existing parking lot to accommodate the expanded outdoor dining area.
• Space Reduction: To make room for the new seating, several existing parking spaces will be removed.
• Post-Expansion Total: After the reconfiguration, the Cowan Station development will provide a total of 388 parking spaces.
• Regulatory Compliance: The application states that 388 spaces remain well above the 345 spaces required by the City of Fredericksburg’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for the center's combined uses.
• Internal Circulation: The layout was adjusted to ensure that the removal of these spaces and the addition of the new seating area do not negatively affect the flow of traffic within the commercial center.

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