Selectmen seek to ease special permit process

Date: 3/1/2010

March 1, 2010

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW -- The Board of Selectmen are looking into making the licensing and permitting process for new businesses in town an easier endeavour.

The selectmen met with Town Counsel James Donahue at their Feb. 23 meeting to discuss the process a specific restaurant is currently going through. The Board of Selectmen is the entity that approves permits, from food service to entertainment, but special permits must be obtained from the Planning Board.

Selectman Jim Driscoll, who served on the Planning Board before being elected to the Board of Selectmen, made the suggestion that the selectmen also be the ones to award special permits.

"It's confusing and arduous for businesses in town with the current process," Driscoll told Reminder Publications. "It's a huge process with two different boards. Business owners lose money taking two nights off of work, paying a lawyer for two nights of work. I'm trying to streamline the process."

Jack Villamaino, chair of the Board of Selectmen, agreed with Driscoll, stating, "If somebody wants a change in their licensing, [the current process] is kind of redundant. They have to do everything twice."

Donahue said a change in the current bylaw that requires these separate meetings would need approval at Town Meeting.

"It's a philosophical issue that needs to be addressed by the boards or by the town [at Town Meeting]," Donahue added.

Driscoll noted that the possibility of the selectmen taking over special permitting for businesses was discussed for the first time at their meeting last Tuesday evening. He said he's looking forward to scheduling a joint meeting with the Planning Board to look further into this issue.