Report from Flatbread/Sacco's expansion meeting
A short report from tonight's meeting regarding expansion of Flatbread and Sacco's Bowl-Haven:
They want to expand into 49 Day Street, formerly part of Ideal Engine. The building is much bigger inside than you'd expect from just seeing the street frontage.
The new space will contain 7 additional bowling lanes (with 26 bench seats facing the lanes), a 50-seat dining area, a 9-seat bar, and its own set of restrooms. The existing wall between the current Flatbread/Sacco's and the new space will remain intact, with only one door punched through to connect the two spaces. This will allow partitioning off the new space for private functions such as weddings and birthday parties.
In addition, what's now a small parking lot to the right of the building will contain a 76-seat outdoor patio, under a pergola. A driveway will remain next to it, leading to 6 parking spaces and a dumpster. Outdoor hours, in season, will be the same as current indoor hours.
The project requires a special permit with design review from the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as a variance for inability to provide 15 additional parking spaces. The ZBA hearing will be Wednesday, May 15 at 6 pm at City Hall. The expansion also required approval from the Licensing Commission, but that already happened last night.
Neighbors seemed generally supportive, but raised a number of practical issues regarding trash and recycling disposal, construction hours, and the congregation of cigarette smokers outside the front entrance. Some previous construction by Flatbread had illegally occurred between midnight and 6 am, resulting in repeated calls by neighbors to the Somerville police to shut the work down. The Flatbread representative assured residents that this would not recur.
Build-out will take 12 to 16 weeks after permits are issued.
They want to expand into 49 Day Street, formerly part of Ideal Engine. The building is much bigger inside than you'd expect from just seeing the street frontage.
The new space will contain 7 additional bowling lanes (with 26 bench seats facing the lanes), a 50-seat dining area, a 9-seat bar, and its own set of restrooms. The existing wall between the current Flatbread/Sacco's and the new space will remain intact, with only one door punched through to connect the two spaces. This will allow partitioning off the new space for private functions such as weddings and birthday parties.
In addition, what's now a small parking lot to the right of the building will contain a 76-seat outdoor patio, under a pergola. A driveway will remain next to it, leading to 6 parking spaces and a dumpster. Outdoor hours, in season, will be the same as current indoor hours.
The project requires a special permit with design review from the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as a variance for inability to provide 15 additional parking spaces. The ZBA hearing will be Wednesday, May 15 at 6 pm at City Hall. The expansion also required approval from the Licensing Commission, but that already happened last night.
Neighbors seemed generally supportive, but raised a number of practical issues regarding trash and recycling disposal, construction hours, and the congregation of cigarette smokers outside the front entrance. Some previous construction by Flatbread had illegally occurred between midnight and 6 am, resulting in repeated calls by neighbors to the Somerville police to shut the work down. The Flatbread representative assured residents that this would not recur.
Build-out will take 12 to 16 weeks after permits are issued.