ROCKPORT — On Jan. 23 the Rockport Planning Board will consider proposals and review the progress of local businesses that aim to expand on their current sites or open new locations.

The board will review an application by Aphiwat Raklittikul, who formerly operated the restaurant Mr. Wat on Commercial Street, to establish a takeout restaurant in an existing commercial building at 148 West Street., opposite the Anchor Church.

The board will also consider applications of Buck Holdings LLC (Plants Unlimited), which has submitted a pre-application to build a 2.6 acre work access road at its Commercial Street location, and an application by Ben Pratt to expand an existing home occupation automotive garage at 495 Rockland Street to a tradesman usage.

The Planning Board will also continue a development/site review of an application submitted by Steve and Jacqueline Laite to operate their towing business from 314 West Street and their proposal to construct a 40’x60’ storage building on their property.

According to documents filed at the Rockport Town Office, an application was received from Raklittikul to operate a takeout pizza restaurant from 148 West Street, a building which once housed a Floor Magic retail store and was recently a shipping and storage location for Herbal Revolution.

A Planning Board meeting to review the application had been scheduled for Dec. 26 of 2018, but was rescheduled to Jan. 23 due to a lack of a quorum. 

The proposal includes no exterior structural changes. The parking area can currently accommodate 16 vehicles although only eight cars at a time are anticipated by the restaurant, which is referred to in renderings as “Spice Herbal Pizzeria.”

The site is located within the town’s 907 District, which permits restaurant use.

The restaurant is expected to operate with one employee and will not have customer seating inside because it is designed as a takeout location only. The only proposed changes to the outside of the property are lighting for the parking area, signage and a dumpster for trash removal.

A Jan. 4 memo to the Planning Board from Gartley & Dorsky Engineers explains that the 2.6 acre work yard proposed by Buck Holdings LLC would include an access road.

The project at 629 Commercial St. would result in some 5,000 square feet of grading, and the yard would be used to Plants Unlimited to store trees, shrubs and other plantings.

The work combined with existing development on the site would result in a total of 33 percent lot coverage, which is below the 50 percent coverage allowable in Rockport’s Land Use Ordinance.

According to a site review summary prepared by acting Town Planner Bill Najpauer, Ben Pratt has operated his automotive repair garage from 495 Rockland Street as under the home occupation usage for the past three years.

As business has grown, Pratt seeks to change the status of the shop to a tradesman operation. The garage currently has one or two employees at any time, and no additional building expansion is proposed. The board will also review a landscaping and planting schedule for Steve Laite’s towing company which operates from 314 West Street.

The Planning Board meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Rockport Opera House.

See previous articles:

Takeout-only pizza restaurant may come to Rockport

Tomi’s Sushi and Noodle Bar to replace Mr. Wats’ in Rockport

Mr. Wat celebrates one-year business anniversary in Rockport