Owner of Beloved Wethersfield Diner Blindsided By Demolition Plans

WETHERSFIELD, CT — Fans of a beloved local diner dating back to 1952 are mourning a decision by the town's zoning board that likely means the end of a Wethersfield institution.

Following an empty public hearing, the Wethersfield Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday unanimously voted in favor of a special permit allowing the owner of the Wethersfield Diner site to knock it down and build a four-story, mixed-use building there.

The diner is located at 718 Sileas Deane Highway and the owner of the property is separate from the operator of the diner.

Thursday, the diner's owner — Stacey Pribyson — said the situation was first brought to her attention last Friday, May 3.

She has owned the diner operation since 2015 and has been paying her rent to the landlords regularly, she said.

Then, according to Pribyson, she saw a sign in front of the diner on Friday indicating it was the subject of a PZC hearing on Tuesday, May 7.

It was news to her, she said.

Pribyson said if she didn't know about it, then it was likely the community wasn't as informed about the application either, though it appears required notices and applications were available for public viewing prior.

"I went to the hearing and nobody showed up," Pribyson said Thursday. "It's unfortunate because these things are local landmarks."

She said she didn't speak at the hearing because, seeing how empty it was, she knew there wasn't much that could be done. "There was nothing for me to say," Pribyson said.

In approving the special permit, the PZC Tuesday paved the way for the property owner and the listed applicant to tear down the diner.

The listed property owner is 718 Sileas Dean Realty LLC while the applicant is listed as "AM Group" out of Plainville, which acquired the diner site in 2022.

The diner building itself was erected in 1952 and has been a local breakfast and lunch haunt for decades, despite the diner dealing with challenging times recently, namely, the 2020 pandemic.

Pribyson said her once-thriving diner before the pandemic went from a seven-day-a-week operation to a five-day-a-week eatery with only her, her husband, a waitress, and a dishwasher.

The diner, Pribyson said, closed from March 2020 to June 2022 and she was pondering selling the place.

Ultimately, she opted to open the restaurant and forge ahead. She said, regular customers still came to eat and the operation was getting by.

It may have survived the economic challenges of the pandemic, but it appears it could not overcome a property owner's business plans.

According to the project narrative submitted to the zoning board, the property owner plans to build a four-story building with office/retail space on the bottom and 18 apartments above.

It will also have 34 parking spaces associated with the site, according to documents.

The proposal went before the Wethersfield Design Review Advisory Committee last week (May 1), with the group approving the project and recommending it to the PZC.

According to the town, the diner site is zoned "TC Town Center," which means a special permit requires a public hearing where the public could weigh in.

The hearing took place Tuesday night, but no one outside of representatives of the applicant spoke. P.J. Cimini of Government Solutions Group, represented the applicant, during the hearing.

With no one speaking for or against the application, the PZC quickly closed the hearing Tuesday night, and then quickly approved the application seemingly sealing the fate of the diner.

Much of the discussions centered on technical aspects of the application itself, which falls under the purview of a town's zoning board.

Legally, a planning and zoning board cannot deny an application based on members' wishes for a project or the public's desire.

Denial of an application meeting all permit requirements can subject the town to costly legal challenges.

As for this application, Wethersfield PZC members did say the building is a good use of the site and complimented the applicants for their work.

No timetable for the development beyond "as soon as possible" was discussed Tuesday night.

Pribyson said had she been notified of the landlord's intentions, she could have purchased the building and, maybe, relocated it.

As of Thursday, the next step is unknown.

"The rug has been pulled out from under me and now I have to figure out what to do," Pribyson said, admitting the diner's days are, likely, numbered.

She said Thursday she doesn't even have a timeline for closure and no one has told her when the demolition is slated to take place.

Pribyson said part of the diner is, actually, a portable diner car with the rest of the site being a building addition.

Theoretically, if the diner was for sale, it could be relocated, at least the part that is portable, she said.

But that isn't up to her and, in all likelihood, the Wethersfield Diner will be a thing of the past.

According to the Wethersfield Diner's Facebook page, those commenting expressed shock at the situation.

"NO! Is there a way to fight this? Not only is that an AWFUL spot for this mixed-use building, they are taking away a Wethersfield staple and small business," wrote one commenter.

Others commented on the quality of the breakfasts there and expressed hope the diner could, possibly, relocate, though that is unlikely.

For all documents related to the 718 Sileas Deane Highway application, click on this link.

For more information on the Wethersfield Diner, click on this link.