Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Economy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board conditionally approves FreshMonkey shake shop at 118 Turnpike Road
Summary
The Planning Board granted minor‑site‑plan approval for a 1,300‑square‑foot FreshMonkey change‑of‑use at 118 Turnpike Road, contingent on Board of Health sign‑off and submission of a parking‑use exhibit showing parking calculations and allocations.
Southborough — The Planning Board voted Monday to approve a minor site plan for FreshMonkey, a protein‑shake and fast‑casual concept, at 118 Turnpike Road, Suite 101, conditionally on receiving Board of Health approval and a parking‑use exhibit that documents required and available parking for all uses on the site.
The application, presented by attorney George Bonon on behalf of property owners David and Anna Farris and applicants Grace Lembe and Patrice Conchu of Healthy Shakes LLC, seeks a change of use for roughly 1,300 square feet from office to a fast‑food/restaurant use. Bonon said the applicants currently operate a successful Westborough location and are proposing similar hours and service in Southborough.
The Board heard technical items before taking a vote. Planning staff and the applicant discussed Title 5 (septic) considerations: staff noted a small increase in estimated wastewater flow from a 1,300‑square‑foot office (about 99 gallons per day under Title‑5 guidance) to a fast‑food restaurant (roughly 140 gallons per day). The applicant’s civil engineer said that existing site septic capacity generally has a safety factor and the modest increment was likely manageable but the Board of Health must review and sign off. The Board made approval contingent on that sign‑off.
Board members also requested a parking table that lists current uses on the 118 Turnpike property, required parking under the zoning bylaw, and parking to be provided; the applicant committed to submit that table for the planning board and for the forthcoming special‑permit filing with the Zoning Board of Appeals. The applicant noted the lot currently has a variance tied to a pending subdivision that would result in 344 parking spaces after the subdivision; the applicant said the current total is near 550 spaces before the subdivision is recorded.
The Board moved and seconded approval of the minor site plan with two explicit conditions: (1) Board of Health approval of Title‑5/septic adequacy and (2) submission of a parking‑use exhibit showing required vs. provided parking calculations. The motion passed.
Quotes on the record ranged from applicant comments about timeline for build‑out to an applicant’s statement of proposed hours: “Our hours is gonna be 7 to 7,” the applicant said. Planning staff and board members welcomed the business for contributing to the town’s commercial mix.
Why it matters: The change of use converts underused office space into a restaurant that will require coordination on septic capacity and the shared lot’s parking; the board conditioned approval to ensure those operational constraints are resolved.
What’s next: Applicant to secure Board of Health sign‑off, provide the parking calculation table for planning and ZBA review, and proceed with the special‑permit application(s) required for signage and any nonconforming features.
