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Applicant seeks to open 25-seat dine-in restaurant in former Purple Tomato unit; board flags parking, fire-safety and accessibility requirements
Summary
An applicant told the planning board they want to convert Unit 6 (former Purple Tomato) into a 25-seat dine-in Indian restaurant. The board asked for a fire‑marshal signoff, a site-plan review and verification of parking and handicap accessibility before final approval.
An applicant asked the planning board for conceptual feedback on converting Unit 6, formerly the Purple Tomato market, into a 25-seat dine-in Indian restaurant and said the business would operate 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The board and the applicant discussed whether the building’s current occupancy and parking would allow the change of use. The applicant said the restaurant would have 25 indoor seats and about seven or eight outdoor seats in summer; the board noted the town’s typical rule of one parking space for every four seats and asked the applicant to inventory existing parking. “So how many seats would your restaurant have? 25,” the Presenter said. A member summarized the parking standard: “One parking space for every 4 seats.”
Board members asked the applicant to contact the fire marshal’s office and to provide written confirmation that the proposed cooking equipment and hood meet fire-suppression requirements. The board explicitly referenced the need for an Ansul (hood) fire-suppression system if commercial cooking is installed. One member asked, “Have you checked with the fire marshal’s office to see what you would need?” The Chair asked the applicant to supply a letter from the fire marshal stating the use is acceptable for the building.
The board also discussed accessibility: for a 25-seat restaurant, the Applicant was told a handicap restroom and at least one marked handicap parking space may be required. Board members recommended the applicant follow the site-plan review checklist and either hire an engineer or architect to produce a plan showing parking, circulation and any modifications required by building or fire code.
The board did not vote on the change of use tonight. The Chair instructed the applicant to submit the required documentation (fire‑marshal confirmation, a parking inventory or site plan, and handicap parking/restroom verification) and to return for a formal site‑plan review under the board’s public agenda process.
The planning board also advised the applicant to check any prior site-plan review permits associated with the property and to bring drawings or permit records if available; one member suggested the owner of the building may already have useful site‑plan material.
