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Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Seating capacity, the use of the basement as a food preparation area, a violation of a liquor license and parking issues are plaguing Spoleto Restaurant, located in the town's Center Square. As of Aug. 6, the restaurant's owners have 30 days to rectify the violations of their special permit or face the consequences. If the restaurant does not comply with the conditions in the permit by Sept. 5, it will be fined $100 per day for its violations. If it does not comply after that, Spoleto's special permit may be revoked. Robyn D. MacDonald, director of the town's Planning Board, stated that Spoleto was issued a special permit for operation in May 2006 with the conditions that the basement be used only for storage and that the seating capacity be limited to 140 patrons. A recent compliance inspection found a full kitchen in operation in the basement, as well as 243 seats inside the restaurant and an additional 52 seats on the outdoor patio, totaling 295 seats. A violation of the restaurant's alcohol license was noted because of the license's restriction to 140 persons as well. In a letter sent to Spoleto's attorney, Stephen P. Houle, building commissioner for East Longmeadow, stated that the restaurant has been "ordered to cease and desist any and all activity when the total of the inside and outside seating capacity exceeds 140 persons." "These violations were discovered a month ago, and so far no changes have been made," MacDonald said. Marilyn M. Richards, chair of the Planning Board, believes that Spoleto had made "no attempt for compliance since day one." The fire chief does have the power to immediately shut down the restaurant or remove the number of patrons over the maximum capacity if there are more than 140 people at Spoleto at any time. Fire Chief P. Robert Wallace said that there was no problem with the seating capacity as far as fire safety was concerned. Houle is more concerned, however. "If a disaster happens, it could be a bigger disaster if there are too many people involved," he said. Compliance checks are performed on a regular basis, according to Houle, and an annual, more in depth check is made concerning the alcohol license. The main issue with the more than doubled seating capacity is the shared parking lot of Center Square, as it serves both as a commercial and a municipal lot. "Even though Town Hall and the library may be closed during the restaurant's busiest times, this is still parking for the town," said Thomas Morrissette, vice-chair of the Planning Board. "Other businesses use these parking spaces, as do those attending nearby baseball games." The Planning Board discussed some of the ways Spoleto may solve their capacity problems at their Aug. 7 meeting. The restaurant has taken out a short term lease (Aug. 1 - Oct. 31) on an additional 6,000 square feet in the shopping center's parking lot, but doing this requires an amendment be made to the special permit. Morrissette said that the original application for an amendment to the permit was rejected because the application was incomplete. Another solution included having patrons and employees park along the nearby Rail Trail with valet service possibly being offered on Friday and Saturday nights. Attorney James Donahue, Town Counsel, stated a third option: that the restaurant itself expand its square footage in the shopping project, which would allow it more parking spaces. According to MacDonald, one of the main reasons Spoleto is in violation of its special permit is its transition from a quality restaurant to a full-scale restaurant. A quality restaurant reflects a more high-scale atmosphere, with the average patron visit lasting two to two-and-a-half hours meaning less customers in a longer period of time. A full-scale restaurant, however, is geared toward a larger audience, with each visit lasting approximately one hour. Shorter visits mean higher numbers of visitors and traffic to the restaurant. Restaurant designations come from engineers' requirements for parking. The restaurant may still apply for an amendment to its special permit by applying again to the Planning Board for an increase in occupancy and to the Board of Selectmen for an increase for its alcohol license. On Sept. 4, the Planning Board will be holding a public hearing for enforcement action of the violations of the special permit in Town Hall. Neither the attorney representing the East Longmeadow Spoleto or a spokesperson from the restaurant's headquarters in Northampton could be reached for comment. | ||||||
