Joseph Ferreira, chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals for Fall River, presided over a public hearing on April 17 on a petition from the owners of O'Connell Boat Yard at 284 River Street seeking a special permit to operate a seasonal outdoor entertainment venue, with food trucks and alcohol service, in the boatyard's yard.

Attorney Jeffrey Maderas presented the petition on behalf of the applicant and described the proposal as a seasonal “bar and entertainment” use running when boats are in the water (he said the applicant proposed June 1 through Oct. 1). Maderas said food would be provided by contracted food trucks and the alcohol service model was intended to follow the ordinance category for bars by special permit, because the venue would not be a fixed restaurant structure.

The petition drew detailed questioning from board members and city staff about which specific zoning use category applied (bar, restaurant, commercial recreational facility) and whether a variance would be required for any part of the plan. Dan Aghiar, the city’s director of engineering and planning, and Board members pressed the applicant to clarify the relief sought because the building inspector's original denial—and therefore the scope of board action—depended on that point. Maderas acknowledged the need for a follow-up discussion with the building inspector to narrow and fix the application.

Public commenters split between expressions of support and concerns. Several residents who keep boats at the yard or live nearby said they supported the concept as a waterfront activation. Supporters included Cindy Plaza (North Main Street), Joe Gomez (Montgomery Street) and Bob Sorayba (Beckham Street), who praised the O'Connells' longtime operation of the yard and described the proposal as an asset for the north-end waterfront.

Neighbors who live immediately adjacent raised privacy, noise and traffic concerns. An abutter who identified herself as living between the subject property and 284 River Street said the proposed entertainment area would look into her backyard and pool because of site topography and clearing; she asked for clearer plan detail and protections. Attorney David Assad, representing owner and abutter Arthur Hancock of 300 River Street, also pressed the board to confirm proper notice and to require signage and routing so customers do not congest Hancock’s access.

Board members and staff highlighted several items the application must address before a final vote: a clear citation of the bylaw section(s) for which relief is requested; confirmation whether the bar classification would permit food trucks (and whether that requires separate relief); a revised site plan that shows the boat slips, the 52 on‑site parking spaces claimed by the applicant, striped spaces and any proposed overflow parking; emergency-vehicle access and evidence from police and fire about access needs; and a clearing-up of inconsistent property/street numbers that resulted in confusion over public notice.

Given those outstanding issues, the board voted unanimously to table the petition to allow the applicant to return with clarified relief and a revised plan. The board cautioned that a denial would bar reapplication for two years under the ordinance, so staff and the applicant agreed to use the tabling to resolve the open items and to come back ready for a final decision.

The petition remains pending; the applicants asked for a seasonal operating window of June 1–Oct. 1 and indicated tentative hours of noon to 8 p.m. Monday–Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, with a patio capacity they estimated at about 200 people. The building inspector and planning staff will work with the applicant on the precise bylaw sections to be relied on and with police and fire on access and safety conditions before the ZBA hears the petition again.