Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Notes from 241 A St. Meeting

Thanks to Cam for writing up some meeting notes from the community meeting for 241 A St. aka 40 Channel Center St. and Mike T for taking a picture of the building in question.



The meeting with Spalding Tougias and Superior dining Group at Midway was informative and their plans for 40 Channel Center were generally well-received by the community. The firm specializes in commercial, cultural, retail, multi-family and mixed-use projects, which is a great fit for Fort Point. Spaulding developed Midway and has had experience in the Fort Point area. Tom Devlin of Superior dining group co-owns Devlins with Pat O'Sullivan who also owns Porter Bellies in Brighton. Superior Dining Group is planning to occupy a portion of the first floor and the entire street-level space. A law firm, Chu, Ring & Hazel LLP, will also occupy 4,000 square feet in the building.

As with any new presence in our neighborhood, there are concerns about parking, noise at night and trash disposal. Cheryl Spalding and Tom Devlin assured the community they will continually work to mitigate impacts on abutters. Valerie Burns brought up the good point that different abutters will have different issues, and care should be taken to be equitable in dividing these impacts to avoid conflicts. The exhaust for the restaurant will be through the roof and no noticeable structures will be added.

The “saddle bag” buildings in the original Beacon plan will not be constructed, and the trash will be enclosed on the Sales office street side, brought across to the sales office for removal periodically. There will be further discussions about the placing of loading docks.

The restaurant will have two entrances, and a landscaped outdoor eating venue with plans for installation art as well. The outdoor venue will close at 10. The meal prices will be very moderate and affordable, probably reflecting the price points of their other restaurants, Orleans in Somerville, and the Warren Tavern in Charlestown.

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