Five Guys, Chipotle, Panera Bread Locations Scheduled for Vote

After months of review and delays, the full City Council plans to vote on requested permits for the proposed Five Guys, Chipotle and Panera Bread locations, according to City Councillor Ed Tarallo.

The vote will be held on Monday, April 22, sometime after 8 p.m., during the regular Waltham City Council meeting. The meeting will be held at Waltham City Hall. 

Specifically, the vote is on a special permit for a reduction in the number of parking spaces at the site. The developer requested the parking reduction to allow for a larger building, according to City Councillor Robert Logan.

The vote, however, could be delayed if the developer does not make requested changes to the proposed plans, Tarallo said. 

The scheduled vote comes after the City Council’s Rules & Ordinance Committee approved modifications to the eateries' plans, according to Tarallo, the committee's chairman. Among the changes made during the Tuesday, April 16 committee meeting included outdoor seating for Chipotle, Tarallo said. Chipotle had previously withdrawn their outdoor seating request, Tarallo said. If the permits are approved, all three restaurants would have outdoor seats.

Despite the committee's approval, several members said they were concerned about whether outdoor seating should used to calculate and possibly increase the number of required parking spaces. Acting Building Inspector Patrick Powell has said outdoor seating should not require additional parking, according to City Councillor Robert Logan. Logan, however, said he disagreed with Powell's assessment.

"Quite frankly, I think his opinion on [the issue] is absolutely ludicrous," Logan said.

City Councillor Diane LeBlanc who also sits on the committee, however, disagreed, saying Powell's assessment was correct. 

Currently, city ordinances don't directly regulate the number of parking speces in relation to outdoor seating, according to City Councillor Stephen Rourke, a committee member. 

None of the restaurants have publicly said when they will open. iParty, GNC, Doctors Express, Aspen Dental and Supercuts are already open at the site. Also, a bank ATM is planned for the site, according to Attorney Joseph Connors, who represents the developer, 1030 Main St. LLC. 

The latest move to schedule the final vote comes after months of delays that Logan said were caused by the developer. Mistakes made in the construction of the site also caused delays.