Business Leaders Question “Anti-Commerce” Town Direction-August 15, 1989

An anti-commerce sentiment appears to be quietly growing in town, according to David Mahn, executive director of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, who pointed to a recent 2-2 vote by the Selectmen denying a food license for a $1 million Taco Bell restaurant on Route 1.

Business leaders were taken aback when the board rejected plans for the fast-food chain’s flagship Northeast location at the corner of Dean Street and Route 1.

Selectmen Gary Lee and William Butters, who cast the opposing votes, cited severe traffic concerns as the primary motivation. “We review these situations on a case-by-case basis. There is no trend,” Lee insisted, rejecting claims that the board is anti-business. Lee pointed to a recent municipal household planning survey indicating that residents felt overwhelmed by uncontrolled growth, noting, “Loudly and clearly people said, ‘Enough’s enough.'”

However, Mahn argued that the rejection—alongside previous town meeting votes banning parking garages and ongoing debates surrounding a new master plan to overhaul zoning along Route 1—sends a discouraging signal to commercial developers. Local auto dealers along the heavily developed commercial strip had even retained a professional mediator earlier in the year to safeguard their dealerships against prospective zoning restrictions. Additional rejections of non-traditional applications, such as a proposed hot dog pushcart on the Town Common and a fortune teller’s permit, further fueled debate over the town’s commercial trajectory.

Town Planner Sharon Wason noted that residents experiencing traffic frustrations are frequently directing their grievances toward commercial developments rather than recognizing household vehicle growth. Despite the friction, Taco Bell was reportedly seeking a second hearing before the selectmen, with Wason and local business advocates voicing hope that the project might still find approval for the vacant corner lot.

(Reporting by Lyndsey Layton for The Patriot Ledger).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger