By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

Owners of GTO's restaurant can now move forward with plans for an expansion to allow inside dining.

Fayetteville Planning Commission members during last week seemed approved development plans for the addition, with the stipulation that sidewalks be built out front as soon as properties on either side of the restaurant are developed.

GTO's was built using different, older development regulations, and city ordinances state that in such cases, when a business adds on it must upgrade to the newer rules, as much as is practical.

When owner Charles Oddo came to the city with plans to expand last month, commissioners suggested several areas where he might have to make the building conform to current code requirements, but in recent meetings have decided some of those changes aren't practical and decided to cut the restaurant some slack.

“They have agreed to install the sidewalks whenever the properties to the north or south build theirs,” said planning director Jahnee Prince.

The restaurant will build a 370-sq. ft. addition to accommodate customers who want to dine inside.

The '50s style drive-through concept works fine when the weather is good, said Oddo in a previous meeting, but when storm clouds rise, his profits plummet, he said.