UPDATED: Planning Board Hears Proposal To Turn Restaurant Into Bank

A Hudson-based bank wants to open its newest bank in Framingham.

This is the second time Avidia Bank has applied to locate on Route 30 in Framingham.

A previous drive-thru proposal at 222 & 236 Cochituate Road failed, but this time the bank wants to open at a former restaurant site, next door to the U.S. Post Office.

Avidia Bank would like to open a 6,500 square foot bank branch at the site of the former Bickford’s restaurant, which was most recently the Blue Agava restaurant. Blue Agava closed in the spring of 2014.

Planning Board member Tom Mahoney, while supportive of the re-development of the property, had an issue with the architecture of the proposed bank.

“It doesn’t fit with what is going on Cochituate Road,” said Mahoney. ”It stands out. It doesn’t belong in my opinion.”

Planning Board member Lewis Colten, who is an architect by trade, didn’t agree with Mahoney.

“I don’t have issues with the architecture,” said Colten.

But Colten was not pleased with the location of the entrance of the bank.

“1,000 of cars go by this site,” said Colten. “It’s not giving a sense of welcoming.”

”We really tried to have this a front-facing location” said the applicant’s attorney Jim Hanrahan, but he said the narrowness of the site made it difficult.

The new business would be a commercial and residential bank and not just a bank branch, said the applicant. “We need to make the bank friendly and still functional.”

The applicant plants to make the site pedestrian-friendly, with a proposed raised walkway, as well as access to the post office next door.

The applicant would like to talk to the post office about creating a one-way vehicle drive to the bank from the post office.

There is a proposed garden, with a sculpture, planned for the front of the building facing Route 30.

Planning Board member Victor Ortiz had an issue with the applicant’s handicapped parking space in relation to its drive thru location. He suggested moving one from the west side to the east side.

“It’s a challenging site,” said Hanrahan.

Planning Board chair Christine Long applauded the applicant for introducing something different and redeveloping the property.

She said the proposal with the garden sitting area and sculpture, reminded her of buildings in Boston.

This project “opens up more opportunity for future development for other sites that could use re-development,” said Long.

One issue that does need to be resolved is addressing is the company’s logo on the building. Planning Board members will need to determine if it is a sign in Framingham or an architectural detail

“The symbol is very important to the bank,” said Hanrahan. “It drives the design.”

No one from the public spoke at last night’s hearing on the proposal.

There were a couple members of the public who proposed the previous location on a vacant lot and a former site of a beauty salon at the corners of Route 30 and Route 126.

The applicant will be back before the Planning Board on Monday, Sept. 24

In 2007, Avidia Bank was formed in 2007 when the Hudson Savings Bank and the Westborough Bank merged.

According to its website, Avidia Bank is a $1 billion mutual community bank headquartered in Hudson, with full-service branch offices in Hudson, Westborough, Clinton, Leominster, Marlborough, Northborough and Shrewsbury.

The website states the bank serves the financial needs of businesses, families and individuals in Central Massachusetts and beyond, through its branch network and its extensive investment in technology.