Tiverton TRC reviews Boathouse expansion; seeks revisions on parking, stormwater and fire access

The Tiverton Technical Review Committee on May 6 reviewed a minor land development preliminary-plan application from Newport Restaurant Group to expand the Boathouse restaurant at Plat 119, Lot 104227 Schooner Drive. The proposal would add indoor seating, expand the kitchen, install a new mechanical area and roof elements, and build a new deck over the north patio; it would increase the restaurant's seating from 262 to 333 and add a proposed 35-space grass-paved overflow lot to the north of the site.

The application, presented by Veil Higurani, CLS, an engineer working with the applicant, had already been submitted to the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) after a pre-application meeting with CRMC staff, Higurani said. The site retains an existing Environmental Land Use Restriction (ELUR) from a former petroleum storage use, and the applicant is proposing buffer revegetation in nonconforming areas at a 2:1 ratio while trying to preserve waterfront views from the restaurant.

Why it matters: town reviewers flagged technical issues that could change final engineering, circulation and public-safety measures. Changes under review include stormwater drainage for the proposed grass-pave lot, relocation and count of accessible parking, fire apparatus access and how the restaurant's pickup/drop-off area will function once the current on-street bump-out is removed.

Project and site details

- Seating: existing 262, proposed 333. - Parking: existing 151 spaces; applicant proposes an additional 35 grass-paved spaces (seasonal/overflow use). The presentation said the site currently shows three ADA spaces; later plan details reviewed by the building official indicated six ADA spaces will be provided on the revised layout. - Site area: presenter described the overall property as roughly 26 acres; only a small portion is currently developed by the Boathouse building. - Utilities: the proposal includes reconfigured utility laterals, relocation of an impacted grease trap to beneath a sidewalk, and a conceptual service increase (applicant reported a roughly 20% additional water/sewer demand tied to the expansion). - Coastal/permits: the applicant reported a pre-application meeting and that a CRMC application is under review; buffer restoration and planting plans have been filed with CRMC.

Stormwater and landscaping

Town reviewers confirmed the project is subject to redevelopment stormwater standards. The plan places stormwater treatment in two lined bioretention areas (one to the south discharging to a level spreader into the bay, and one to the north tying into existing drainage on Schooner Drive) because the property is built on fill and the team does not expect infiltration. Town reviewer Nathan raised a modeling concern about treating the grass-pave islands as storage without a clear outlet, saying in part, "modeling the grass cave as a detention system with no outlet to allow it to drain between storms may not be appropriate." The applicant and their engineer said a subdrain tying the grass-pave area into the existing storm system can be added and will be included in revised details.

Landscape reviewers asked for clearer labeling of buffers on planting plans and for plant choices consistent with CRMC's coastal plant list. The applicant said revegetation will focus on nonconforming buffer areas while preserving views and pedestrian paths to the pier.

Public access, parking and circulation

Reviewers noted 35 spaces on the southeast corner of the site are marked for public access; the applicant proposed signage to clarify those spaces will remain public. The plan would remove the existing small on-street bump-out that some patrons use as an informal drop-off area and reorganize parking and crosswalks to create a more defined pedestrian approach to the restaurant. Several TRC members and Planning Board representative Rosemary Eva urged the applicant to include better wayfinding, lighting and close-in accessible parking to reduce pedestrian risks for elderly patrons.

Fire access and operations

Dan Murphy, Tiverton Fire Marshal, expressed concern that relocating the drop-off area onto the street could reduce roadway width at peak times and complicate emergency access, saying, "You're literally taking gonna take up half the street." He asked for enforceable signage or time-limited curb rules to discourage delivery trucks and long-term parking in the new curb zone, and he asked that a 10- to 12-foot emergency access path to the north cul-de-sac be maintained so smaller town apparatus can reach the rear pathways. The applicant's team said the north access is applicant-owned property and that they can preserve a 10-foot access path or make it wider if needed.

Building and life-safety items

Town building officials confirmed the project will reconfigure existing restrooms and add at least one ADA-accessible fixture; they asked the architect to include fixture counts and ADA calculations in the building-permit submittal. The Fire Marshal and building official discussed the applicant's intent to provide sprinklers; the applicant said the south portion is intended to be sprinkled and that final suppression plans were pending.

Committee direction and next steps

TRC members identified technical corrections and additional details needed (stormwater calculations and outlet details for the grass-pave surface; labeled buffer and planting details; ADA parking aisle dimensions and van-space requirements; hydrant/distance confirmations; and clarified utility and grease-trap relocations). Chair Ian said the committee expects the applicant to revise the plans and resubmit responses: "send out what you provide as a revision," he said, adding the TRC will not automatically schedule another meeting unless reviewers request further discussion. The applicant indicated ownership intends to close the restaurant for the construction period and described a schedule under which the business would be closed December through August and reopen in October, subject to permitting and final budgeting.

No formal vote or decision was taken at the TRC meeting; the discussion produced technical conditions and requests the applicant must address in a resubmission before administrative sign-off or further TRC action.

Ending

The TRC asked the applicant to circulate revised plans and the town worksheet responses to reviewers. Town staff said they will provide memos and that they will request a follow-up meeting only if outstanding issues remain after plan revisions are circulated.