Windward Hall’s patio needs a parking break. City staff encouraged it.

Windward Hall wants its proposed 2,500-square-foot dining patio exempted from Alpharetta’s minimum parking requirements. The twist: city staff encouraged the applicant to seek that exception, linking outdoor dining to a future trail beside the property’s stream.⁠[1]

The numbers explain the request. The site plan proposes 83 parking spaces, while the restaurant building requires 79. Those four extra spaces would support only 400 square feet of outdoor dining under the ordinary rules, staff says—not the 2,500 square feet proposed.⁠[1]

Applicant The Luxury Enterprise Group, LLC proposes a two-story, 7,900-square-foot restaurant without a drive-through on 3.75 acres at the southeast corner of Windward Parkway and Edison Drive. A separate master-plan amendment would allow the stand-alone restaurant; Pod 14A currently permits restaurants only as accessory uses inside office buildings.⁠[1]

Staff says the stream limits the site’s developable area and encouraged a cantilevered patio overlooking the natural area. The applicant also seeks a variance for approximately 1,200 square feet of patio to extend into the stream’s impervious-surface setback. Recommended conditions would require land or an easement for public access along a future multi-use trail.⁠[1]

The walkability argument comes with a caveat. Staff says a trail connection would reduce vehicle trips, supporting the parking exception. But the same report’s traffic section questions the applicant’s discount for drivers already passing the site, describing a fine-dining restaurant that “would likely not serve surrounding office employees.” The applicant’s traffic study bases its discount on industry data for high-turnover, sit-down restaurants.⁠[1]

The Planning Commission recommended approval with staff’s conditions on Oct. 1 by a 6–0 vote. That was a recommendation, not City Council approval. Council consideration is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall’s council chambers, 2 Park Plaza. The date is unchanged from our report on the canceled Oct. 26 meeting.⁠[1][2]