Smithfield’s Planning Commission, on Jan. 9, unanimously approved exterior renovations at the Burger King in the Smithfield Plaza shopping center off Benns Church Boulevard.

Landowner CCJ LLC of Williamsburg had filed for an entrance corridor overlay review, as the restaurant is located on one of five roads that form the town’s entrance corridor overlay district. Businesses looking to build or renovate within 500 feet of the road are required under Smithfield’s zoning ordinance to use materials “appropriate tot own character” as determined by the Planning Commission.

Burger King proposes to leave much of the stone veneer that covers the building’s lower portion, save for areas surrounding the entrance and drive-thru window, which are slated to be covered in fiber siding patterned to resemble wood. The renovations would also entail removing and squaring of the mansard roof overhang and replacing the restaurant’s lighted signage with an updated logo.

John Naparlo, a Burger King franchisee, told the Planning Commission the renovations are part of a brand-required upgrade for all Burger Kings.

The interior public areas are also to be remodeled and the restaurant’s parking lot is to be resurfaced. The restaurant’s drive-thru is to remain open during the renovations.

Entrance corridor overlay reviews are one of the few areas where the Planning Commission, rather than Smithfield’s Town Council, has the final say.