By Thomas Grillo
LYNN — City councilors Tuesday night rejected a 24-hour Taco Bell proposed for the Lynngate Shopping Plaza.
Instead, the Licensing Committee approved a closing time of 1 a.m., similar to other fast food shops in the city. The city’s action clears the way for the 2,500-square-foot restaurant that is under construction on a portion of the parking lot in the shopping center at Boston and Stetson streets.
More than a dozen residents of the 162-unit Stadium Condominiums on Locust Street behind the plaza packed the hearing room on Tuesday night. They argued that late night hours will exacerbate traffic and trash problems on Boston Street and disturb the neighborhood at all hours.
Patricia Dutch, a Stadium resident, said she is worried about the restaurant’s lights shining on their condos.
“We are totally opposed to an all-night operation,” she said.
Michele Wilkins, a condo resident, said she has complained about the temporary fence with cement blocks on the sidewalk around the construction site that has caused pedestrian accidents, but has not received a call back from Taco Bell.
“Given the lack of response, I don’t know what kind of a good neighbor they would be,” she said. “A midnight closing is fine, not 24 hours.”
Gertrude Sally Chapman, another Stadium resident, said she wants a guarantee that the lights from the eatery and the cars going through the drive-through will not shine on their homes.
“We are abutters to this property and we have not been told anything and have been left in the dark with nothing in writing,” she said. “Hopefully you will listen to us.”
Jack Griffin, another Stadium resident, said the neighbors are concerned about trash and rodents in the eatery’s lot as well as noise from customers.
“We have the best looking condos in the city and we want to keep it that way,” he said.
Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr, Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Lozzi and Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre said while they sided with neighbors over closing time, they are not anti-business and hope Taco Bell and the condo owners can work out their differences.
Cyr said Taco Bell is welcome to return to the council at a later date to report on how the operation is going and if neighbors are convinced the eatery is a good neighbor. If so, Cyr said they will reconsider the closing time.
Michael Rose, marketing coach for Charter Foods, the firm that franchises more than 200 Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and KFC locations, said the Tennessee-based company has 24-hour operations in other regions of the country. Typically, he said, the restaurant closes at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends and only the drive-thru is open all night. Rose said he can live with the 1 a.m. closing time and hopes the restaurant’s management will have a good relationship with the neighbors.
In other council matters. James Moore, the attorney representing Charles Patsios, the Swampscott developer planning a $500 million mixed-use complex at the former General Electric Co. Gear Works property, is seeking the city’s approval to add an assisted-living facility to the 65-acre project.
In addition, Patsios is seeking to increase the height of his tallest residential tower to 26 stories, up from 20, to make room for parking. If approved, the developer would have the option to add the new such housing to the mix that is expected to include 1,250 apartments and condominiums adjacent to the train stop. The full council is expected to consider the new zoning at a later date.
In another move that could make a new $26 million YMCA a reality, the Ways and Means Committee approved the sale of a large adjacent traffic island in front of the facility that could be used as a expansion site. The city determined the parcel was worth about $215,000, the YMCA offered $50,000 and the panel and the Y agreed to a $75,000 price tag for the parcel.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at tgrillo@itemlive.com.