The Select Board on Monday continued its hearing on a liquor license amendment to June 1 that would formalize outdoor food and alcohol service at the Dudley Chateau restaurant outdoor patio. At the hearing neighbors voiced opposition and board members raised unresolved questions about whether the application also requires Planning Board review.
The restaurant, at 20 Crest Road on Dudley Pond, built an outdoor patio under Covid-19 rules in 2020 or 2021 and has operated it ever since under a temporary authorization that has now expired. Owner Ken Phillips told the board the request would not increase the restaurant’s 85-seat capacity but simply extend the existing all-alcohol license to cover an approximately 1,000-square-foot patio. He said last seating is at 7:30 p.m. and the patio closes by 9 p.m.
“I’m in a residential neighborhood,co-owner Mandy Phillips said. “That was a major thing for me to make sure that you’re not disturbing the peace in the evening when you’re trying to put kids to bed.” and obviously the pond carries noise, so we do, we do try to, you know, really be courteous to our neighbors. Four abutters spoke against the amendment, citing noise that carries across Dudley Pond, illegal on-street parking on Bayfield and Pine roads, and concerns that emergency vehicles cannot reach the area when both sides of the street are lined with cars.
“If now we are going to hear people eating, drinking, being loud outside, you know, six out of seven days, that’s going to be just, like, devastating,” said Pavel Ozhogin of 30 Bayfield Road. Rebecca Leonard of 33 Bayfield Road said she had lived in the neighborhood for four years and had “never seen a car ticketed” despite repeated illegal parking.
Board member Bill Whitney said he wanted Town Counsel to weigh in on whether the Planning Board has concurrent jurisdiction over the use, noting that the property sits outside the commercial district as a pre-existing, non-conforming use. Doug Levine suggested that if approved, the license be revisited at the November annual renewal rather than granted in perpetuity. Town Manager Michael McCall said the patio may continue operating under the status quo until the board rules.
Fire, police, finance updates
Earlier in the meeting, Fire Chief Neil McPherson presented the conclusions of a 109-page staffing analysis by Municipal Resources Inc., funded at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting and completed in March. The report contains 35 recommendations and warns that the department “is operating near the limits of its current staffing and deployment model” amid rising EMS demand.
The board agreed that McCall would convene a working group — including representatives from the department, IAFF Local 1978, the Select Board, Finance Committee and a citizen member — to prioritize the recommendations. McPherson said staffing additions and a dedicated fire prevention position are among his top priorities.
The board also unanimously approved a consent calendar that included a $30,700 state hazard mitigation grant, a three-year, $3.75 million paving contract with Nocella Landscaping and Paving of Woburn, a three-year, $2.28 million roadway reconstruction contract with P.J. Albert of Fitchburg, and a three-year, $246,450 bituminous concrete sup-
ply contract with Amrize Northeast of Middleton.
McCall reported that repairs to Fire Station 2, damaged earlier in the year, were delayed by a $600,000 snow and ice budget deficit and a $25,000 insurance deductible, but masonry work will begin this fiscal year.
McCall also said he expects to begin a search for a permanent police chief within a month or two, with an appointment possible in the fall. Acting Police Chief Mark Hebert has held the position about six months.
