North Adams Loom Restaurant Cleared To Open
Loom, the proposed Massachusetts Avenue restaurant led by partners at the nearby Tourists hotel, won Planning Board approval on Monday after representatives detailed a plan to provide 20 parking spaces for patrons beyond what is available along the street.
The Berkshire Eagle reports the parking lot will be located on a separate parcel of land — formerly a city ball field — just south of the restaurant building.
Because the additional parking is within 200 feet of the restaurant, it will not need a Zoning Board of Appeals approval — a possibility that had been aired at last month's meeting.
With the parking issues resolved, the board unanimously approved the restaurant for operations. It is expected to open in early 2019.
The approval allows Loom's owners — including award-winning chef Cortney Burns — to move forward with plans for a restaurant built into the former Our Lady of Incarnation Church, which overlooks the Hoosic River valley below.
The restaurant is part of a multifaceted development of more than 50 acres near the Hoosic River in the city's West End, with the 48-room Tourists hotel serving as its flagship.
The Planning Board last month delayed a vote on the restaurant, citing concerns about the impact on the largely residential neighborhood until an adequate parking plan was submitted.
The Tourists partners also will construct a trail that will allow hotel guests to walk directly to the restaurant.
If at any point the business wishes to utilize the lower level of the building, it has the option of adding spaces to the rear parking lot.
Other properties owned by Tourists or related entities include the Blackinton Mill and a number of houses on Massachusetts Avenue.