EAST LONGMEADOW — An East Longmeadow business’s request to extend its hours turned into an intense back-and-forth between the owner and a neighbor over the course of two Planning Board meetings.
Harshman Singh, owner of Motu Indian Kitchen at 520 N. Main St., came before the board on July 15 for a change to the special permit regulating his business.
Since opening in 2022, Motu has been open until 9 p.m. In the winter, Singh said the restaurant’s busy evening hours are from 5-7 p.m. However, in the summer, he said there are customers up until closing. Singh asked that the hours be extended to midnight to accommodate the flow of customer orders, 80% of which are for takeout. He said that he hopes to increase sales from customers who would otherwise seek out fast food options in surrounding towns.
Planning and Community Development Director Rob Watchilla said the Fire, Police and Health departments had not expressed any concerns or reservations. He referenced an incident in which Singh was issued a violation by the town for having outdoor picnic tables on the premises, despite not being approved for outdoor dining. Watchilla explained that it has since been determined that because there is no food service at the tables, it is not considered outdoor dining. Instead, people who purchase the food inside can then take advantage of the tables to sit at, which is allowed under the town’s bylaws. Singh had been cooperative with the town, he said.
Paige Labrie spoke against the extension of the restaurant’s hours during the July 15 public hearing on the matter. She lives at 14 Lombard Ave. And the side of her property abuts the rear of the Motu property. Her main complaint was not directly about the hours, but about the picnic tables set up on the grass near her property line.
“It’s scary [to have people outside the business] 15 feet from my house,” Labrie said, adding that she “has video” of people retrieving alcohol from their vehicles after purchasing food and then sitting at the tables. “It’s a violation of our property,” she said.
Jim Moylan, who does not live at the Lombard Avenue address, predicted that if the business were open until midnight, people would be “slamming doors” and “saying hi, you know, goodbyes and high fives.” He said vehicles that park in spaces facing the home shine headlights into Labrie’s children’s bedrooms. Labrie said the noise from the people outside wakes her young children.
Watchilla remarked to the board members that they have the authority to restrict the hours that people can sit outside.
Labrie asked what protects her privacy. “How do you know who these people are and how they’re going to behave when they’re leaving?” she asked. “Who’s going to monitor that?”
Planning Board Chair Russell Denver said that sometimes people do not follow rules and even if Singh has a sign posted saying people cannot sit outside or bring in outside alcohol, it may still happen. He said that if there is an issue, she can contact the police or the town’s code enforcement officer. He also assured her that the board had revoked special permits in the past when the businesses violated the terms. Labrie said she does not want Motu to close. She and her husband eat there, she said.
Singh said, Labrie had alleged “a bunch of things that didn’t happen.” Denver said to wait to refute her testimony, but Singh kept speaking. Denver told him to stop several times, finally raising his voice.
Denver suggested leaving the kitchen open to food delivery services only. Labrie began to protest but Denver interjected, saying he had heard her concerns. He then allowed Singh to speak.
Singh said the tables were “a clear 25-feet” from Labrie’s home and that they had only been used by about five people during the three weeks they were there before the town notified him of the violation. Since then, he had not put them out. He also asserted that he had not sold liquor to anyone sitting outside.
“The tables exist for three months. My restaurant exists for all 12. I need all the hours to keep the restaurant running,” Singh said, before adding, “It’s not my job to take care of their kids.” He said he had spoken to Labrie’s husband last year when considering putting out the tables and he had agreed to keep them away from the house’s window and put out a trash can. Singh said there had been no noise complaints about the business.
While Singh said the picnic tables were irrelevant to the question of extending the business’ hours. He described the requested purpose of the business after 9 p.m. as a “DoorDash kitchen” with a limited “late-night menu.”
Planning Board member Robert Tirrell described East Longmeadow as a “sleepy town” and asked what made Singh believe there would be customers after 9 p.m. Singh explained that he received food delivery service orders for addresses in several surrounding towns, including Springfield. He also pointed out that as someone who works until after 9 p.m., he looks for restaurants open late at night and believed others would too.
Planning Board member Peter Punderson suggested allowing the restaurant to be open until 11 p.m. and only on the weekends, saying “bad things happen” at midnight.
The hearing was continued. In the meantime, Denver asked Watchilla to “meet with the parties and see what’s possible.”
When the Planning Board resumed the hearing on Aug. 19, Denver warned Singh and Labrie that the board would not tolerate “yelling, screaming” or “arguing among individuals.” He later said, “I asked to continue the public hearing because you guys were yelling and screaming at each other, and I was sick of listening to it.”
Considering comments made at the previous meeting about headlights shining into windows, Singh proposed putting up a row of arborvitae to eliminate the issue. He did not offer to remove the picnic tables, but said he was open to restricting the use of the picnic tables until 9 p.m. Denver noted outdoor dining at other restaurants ends at 10 p.m.
On the topic of extended hours, Singh mentioned several sit-down restaurants in town that are open after 9 p.m. Labrie contended that they did not have residential neighbors, but Planning Board member William Fonseca corrected her, saying East Village Tavern, Villa Napoletana and Mazatlán Mexican Grill and Bar all have residential abutters. Labrie then called them bars, but Punderson again corrected her, and said that they were restaurants that served alcohol.
Pivoting, Labrie asked, “What [people] are we bringing there at those hours?”
Moylan returned to the topic of the picnic tables. He said he saw children running around them and that it had the potential “to turn into a daycare while the parents are inside eating.” He expressed the fear that Singh would add more tables, but Denver noted that the board could restrict outdoor seating.
When Labrie and Moylan asked about the process and whether what they said had any weight, Fonseca said, “We do try to remain consistent. We take everything into consideration and arrive at a consensus.”
Denver said, “This property that he owns and has a business on is zoned for business. Now, whether you like the business or not, it’s an allowed use with a special permit, which allows this board to put conditions on the operation of that business.”
The board closed the public hearing and discussed the issue. Punderson reiterated his opinion from the previous meeting, saying, “Anything that happens after 11 o’clock at night we don’t want in our town.” On the issue of the picnic tables, he suggested they be removed or not used after 7 p.m.
Fonseca agreed with Punderson. Tirrell figured 9 p.m. was a suitable time to stop the use of the tables.
When Moylan began to speak, Denver chastised him. “Please stop. Your testimony is done. Thank you,” he said. Moylan apologized. Denver also had to tell Singh that he could not speak after the hearing was closed.
The board voted to allow Motu to close at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and remain open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant was restricted to take-out service after 9 p.m. and use of the picnic tables was limited to before 8 p.m.
