By Keith Regan, Contributing Writer
Westborough–Two new Mexican-themed dining options have been cleared to fire up their grills.
The Board of Selectmen March 25 gave the green light for Moe's Southwest Grill to open at 76 Otis St., and for Taco Bell to open a new standalone restaurant with a drive-through at 289 Turnpike Road.
The Taco Bell will be built in what was excess parking for the office building and plaza at 289 and 291 Turnpike Road, just west of the road to the Indian Meadows golf course. The restaurant will feature 52 seats and a drive-through capable of stacking 12 cars at once, bringing it into compliance with the town's recently updated drive-through regulations, said Michael Scott, an engineer with Waterman Design.
Scott said the 2,140-square-foot building, which is set on 4.6 acres, “conforms in every aspect to the town's zoning bylaw.”
David Lockwood, of the Lockwood McKinnon Group, which will develop and operate the restaurant, said the group hopes to start construction in April, with a potential opening date sometime in July or August.
“We'se very excited to come to town,” he said.
For Moe's, selectmen approved both a common victualer's license and a liquor license. The restaurant will be located in the Fountain Plaza, which currently houses a Gymboree and several other businesses.
Manager Ryan Rouleau said alcohol sales are a fraction of the overall business at the other two Moe's he operates in Shrewsbury and Worcester.
“It's not a huge percentage of the business,” he said. “It's mainly as a complement to the food. Families come in and they’ll order one drink, sometimes two, and that's it.”
Rouleau said he hopes to be open for business on April 24.
In other business, selectmen again continued a hearing on a site plan proposal from Spectrum Health to erect a 3-story, 100-bed treatment facility on Oak Street, citing minor outstanding engineering issues. The plan is for the new building to become a men's treatment facility, replacing older outdated facilities and matching a recently completed treatment center for women, said attorney Marshall Gould.
The board also voted to approve a police mutual aid agreement with the city of Worcester, which Police Chief Alan Gordon said will help protect officers who take prisoners to Worcester hospitals or visit courts in the city, where without the agreement they did not have police powers.
“Before, we had to do it, but we were acting as civilians once we entered their city,” he said.
