The Planning & Zoning Commission approval for Mason's Old School Ice Cream happened nearly two years ago, yet as the weather heats up, the Cape Cod-style house at 770 Main Street remains dormant.
Scott Mason, who took ice cream making courses with his wife Kathy, says a condition of approval calling for a left turn signal for southbound traffic on Route 25 caused the delay.
"Before I could get the permit to work on the building, I had to get a permit from the DOT for the left turn lane," Mason said at his Main Street nursery Tuesday afternoon. "We finally got the permit for that, but it took longer than we expected."
Now that all the approvals are in place, Mason plans to renovate the building this summer. It will look like an old schoolhouse, painted red with a bell tower and a flagpole in the front.
Mason hopes to open by mid-April and said he believes the ice cream shop will be a nice complement to his existing business, Mason's Farm Market, as well as a positive thing for the town.
"We haven't lost our ambition and drive to do it," Mason said. "Even though it's taking longer than I thought, we're still optimistic and looking forward to it."
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