Acton Select Board approves liquor‑license pledge, new eatery license, temporary hours for roll shop and backs local-option transfer fee legislation

The Town of Acton Select Board on Sept. 8 took several formal actions: it approved a pledge of liquor licenses by Santa Fe Burrito Grill Acton LLC, granted a common‑victualler license to a new restaurant called Wonder, authorized temporary expanded hours for Let’s Roll LLC at 930 Main Street for 60 days, and voted to sign a letter supporting proposed state legislation that would let municipalities adopt a local option real‑estate transfer fee for high‑value transactions to fund affordable housing.

Pledge of liquor licenses: the board approved a request from Santa Fe Burrito Grill Acton LLC to pledge six liquor licenses as collateral to Northern Bank and Trust Company as part of a loan. Dawson Cooper, the restaurant’s attorney, told the board the licenses were collateral for refinancing and to support opening another location. The board heard from members about the potential implications — including whether a bank holding a pledged license could bypass the town’s licensing authority — and received assurance from the applicant that any transfer or reissuance would remain subject to the town’s licensing process and to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’s (ABCC) rules. The board then voted to approve the pledge; staff said the approval will be submitted to the ABCC through the state’s ePlace portal.

Common victualler license for Wonder: Daniel Brennan, representing HDR Holdings LLC (doing business as Wonder), described a roughly 2,500‑square‑foot space at 145 Great Road with 13 seats and primarily a takeout focus; he said Wonder operates a multi‑concept platform and expects to open in the winter. The board approved the common victualler license for the new business.

Temporary expanded hours for Let’s Roll LLC: Andrew Kucher, representing Let’s Roll, asked to amend a prior special‑permit condition that had limited hours. Select Board members said a neighboring tenant had complained of adverse impacts and urged the parties and the landlord to coordinate. To give time for negotiation, the board approved a 60‑day temporary expansion of operating hours, keeping Monday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and adding Friday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday noon–8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; staff and the board asked the parties and the town’s economic development director to mediate and return with a permanent proposal.

Letter supporting local option transfer fee legislation: the board voted to approve a letter from the Acton Community Housing Corporation asking the town to back legislation that would let localities adopt a real‑estate transfer fee on the portion of a transaction above a defined threshold (the draft bill sets a default $1,000,000 threshold or a county median home value, whichever is lower). Town staff presented preliminary data: in 2024, Acton had 88 transactions above $1 million (about 30% of all transactions) and a modeled fee of 0.05% on the value above $1,000,000 could have generated roughly $557,000 in a single year. Public commenters both supported and opposed the concept; supporters said it would expand local tools to fund housing, while opponents warned about broad application and future increases. The board voted to sign the letter supporting enabling legislation to allow local option adoption; any Acton adoption would require a separate local bylaw and Town Meeting approval.

Votes at a glance: - Santa Fe Burrito Grill Acton LLC — motion to approve pledge of six liquor licenses as collateral to Northern Bank and Trust Company; outcome: approved; tally: yes 4, abstain 1; mover/second: not specified in public record; notes: ABCC filing via ePlace portal required. - HDR Holdings LLC (Wonder), 145 Great Road — motion to approve common victualler license; outcome: approved; tally: yes 5; mover/second: not specified; notes: 13‑seat primarily takeout concept, expected to open in winter. - Let’s Roll LLC, 930 Main St., Suite 10 — motion to approve temporary expanded hours for 60 days (Monday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday noon–8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.); outcome: approved; tally: yes 5; mover/second: motion and second recorded in minutes; notes: staff requested mediation with landlord and neighboring tenant; review in 60 days. - Letter of support for local option real‑estate transfer fee legislation — motion to approve letter of support; outcome: approved; tally: yes 5; mover/second: not specified; notes: preliminary town staff modeling suggests potential revenue (~$557,000 at 0.05% threshold above $1 million for 2024 transactions); any local adoption would require a bylaw and Town Meeting vote.

What the approvals mean: approvals take effect as administrative actions that staff will process (licensing filings to the ABCC for alcohol matters; issuance for the common victualler license; a 60‑day temporary change of hours with follow‑up). The board did not adopt any permanent local bylaws related to the transfer fee; it only authorized submitting a letter supporting enabling state legislation.

Ending: Select Board members asked staff to complete any required paperwork, to coordinate with the ABCC and with the town’s economic development and licensing staff, and to return to the board with any outstanding documentation or follow‑up items at the next meeting.