Main Street Restaurant Plan Advances
- Peter Prohaska
- Oct 24
- 3 min read
A group looking to renovate the former Bank Of America building at 22 Main Street in Southington passed a major regulatory hurdle on Tuesday evening, despite the concerns of some members of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. A site plan with some conditions was approved by a 7-1 vote.
A&K Woodworking is seeking permissions to make the roughly 8300 square foot space into what they hope will be a “high-end dining experience” in the heart of Southington. The developers anticipate keeping the existing footprint and brick exterior while adding a roof deck.
The former bank building is currently owned by the Town of Southington, which plans to retain ownership of the former drive-through on the property for vehicle passage.
With little available parking at the site, the developers previously sought and obtained a parking waiver from the Town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as conditional approvals from other Town agencies.
Although more than one commissioner at the October 21 meeting called the proposed redevelopment “exciting” for the town, the site has not yet been fully engineered. As such, some details of the site plan were not immediately clear to commissioners, who questioned the developers.
Commissioner Kat Caird, who mentioned being “raised by chefs,” brought up South Central Health District’s comment that the kitchen as currently envisioned — only about 300 square feet — would be too small to accommodate the proposed 243 seats at the restaurant. Caird said 30-40% of a restaurant’s space should ordinarily be dedicated to kitchen facilities. SCHD stated in written remarks that they “did not have enough information” to weigh in on the restaurant at this time.
Gregory Piecuch, an attorney for the developers, explained to the Commission that they had presented municipal agencies, including SCHD, with a “maxed-out” seating plan for the eventual restaurant space. However, without current access “inside the walls,” the developers were unable to specify the exact numbers of diners the restaurant would seek to host. Design elements would also be subject to the desires and needs of an eventual tenant operator, Piecuch said. He did point out that there were no plans to add additional exterior lighting or to feature live music at the space.
“It’s nowhere near what we typically accept as a good site plan,” commented Commissioner Caleb Cowles, who eventually cast the lone vote against approving the plan. “It could be a crown jewel, but we want to do it right.”
Cowles also raised the safety issue of a proposed set of stairs from the roof that would exit into the rear of the site. Piecuch agreed to add concrete bollards or other protective devices, if requested, to protect patrons and pedestrians.
The developers agreed to work with Town staff on the question of dumpsters and waste removal, including the possibility of sub-surface drainage that would require input from the Water Pollution Control Authority.
Following the positive vote, the developers plan to move forward with closing on the property and making the space suitable for a restaurant tenant.
The meeting also marked the end of an era for the current composition of the commission. Commission Chair Robert Hammersley is bidding farewell after nearly a decade of service and, by his estimate, some 230 meetings. Hammersley cited his desire to spend more time with his family as a primary motivation for the decision. In his remarks during the meeting he thanked his family for their understanding of the time sacrifices and occasional stresses that PZC membership requires.
The next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, including newly-elected members, is scheduled for Nov. 18. Among likely agenda items is discussion of another re-adaptive use for the purposes of a new restaurant, this one at 5 Atwater Street. Another item is a public hearing regarding a proposed zoning text amendment for revisions to sections 4 and 6 of the Zoning Regulations concerning Age Restricted Cluster Housing and Signage.
