[responsive_youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqVLd1IxOD8]
Video: Tenoch Mexican at the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) meeting held on March 11, 2013 at the Nazzaro Community Center.
The North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council, NEWNC, voted 3-5 to oppose Tenoch Mexican, a proposed restaurant with take-out at 1-3 Lewis Street by operator Alvaro Sandoval.
Prince Building abutters at 63 Atlantic Ave. spoke against the introduction of fast food at the location and the potential for excessive trash and traffic congestion. A petition from 18 residents was presented in opposition to the restaurant. Council members also questioned whether the venting plan would impact the nearby senior living complex.
Mr. Sandoval has another Tenoch Mexican restaurant in Medford (http://www.tenochmexican.com/) with an alcohol license. An alcohol license is not being requested for the 1-3 Lewis Street location. Tenoch would be the only Mexican restaurant in the North End and the first since the closing of El Triunfo at 69 Prince Street last year. The location was most recently clothing retailer Ball & Buck, previously a coffee shop, Flamepoeira, and years ago, Nick’s Tavern. The small space on Lewis Street is between Fulton and Commercial Streets.
A restaurant is already allowed at the location according to the zoning code, however, the take-out request requires a variance from the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals. The location is expected to use convection ovens and have a vent stack to the roof. Plans will allow for up to 22 seats and hours of operation from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.
In contrast to NEWNC, the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association, NEWRA, voted to support Tenoch Mexican at this location. NEWNC and NEWRA are advisory neighborhood groups. The Boston Zoning Board of Appeal will make the final determination.
I probably am not aware of all the issues, but I am very saddened by this. Excessive trash and traffic congestion….really?
This is a shame. NEWNC Seems to support so many restaurant requests that it is hard to understand why this one is any different.
Hahaha. Negative impact on public housing? How about the impact of public housing on the neighborhood! If the residents don’t like it, they can go pay $2000 for a dump on Endicott.
that public housing has been here longer than you have and if YOU do not like it I suggest you move. .
as long as i pay for it, i’ll comment on it. still, thanks for the thought.
lets see…Chris Young was approved for a restaurant in a former hair salon and then a year later for a variance to the forbidden use zoning to expand to the second floor. Somebody from out of town wants to open a non Italian place and the rich people in the Prince condo building object for trash and traffic issues? There is so much garbage on that corner all the time from the Ausonia that it is laughable. the Prince Building is on Atlantic Ave so why are they complaining about traffic? And so the council opposes the take out license Hypocritical much?
sounds to me certain board members who also live in the vicinity of this establishment voted against, however approve of businesses not in their vicinity…hmmmmmm
As someone who lives near the Lewis Street location, I would welcome an addition to Anthony’s, Billy Yse and Starbucks. Mexican food offers a healthy alternative for those among us who avoid the gluten in pizza and other “fast” food. Latin cuisine’s focus on corn offers a viable option.
Bill Lane’s comment on the video about other take-out restaurants such as My Cousin’s Place is right on. How often do you see double parking there? The fact is that almost every restaurant in the North End provides take-out and we can hardly blame our traffic issues on people picking up their dinners.
I applaud Mr. Sandoval for wanting to bring his award-winning restaurant to our neighborhood. We should welcome this kind of innovation and find ways to make it work.
Do they remember that Hot Tomatoes, and Sam Scola before it, we’re right around the corner for over a decade serving fast food take out? And we cant forget Anthony’s. I guess they prefer vacant storefronts to anything non-Italian.
Seriously, traffic? like people are going to DRIVE from other areas to get takeout from Tenoch? As for trash, this place will serve primarily as a takeout spot for local residents….who will then TAKE their food OUT of the restaurant and eat it at home. More NIMBY b.s.
Earth to NEWNC! WT-?? The building’s owner stated in a prior zoning meeting that delivery trucks could pull into the adjacent parking lot at the corner of Lewis and Commercial to make deliveries. No problem, and no double parking.
Second point: the BRA actually built the kitchen behind 3 Lewis at the time the Ausonia was being constructed between Lewis and Commercial Streets (Nick’s Tavern was still in operation at that time). Hard to believe that the city would have approved of the kitchen re-construction if it posed any danger to the residents in the public housing development nearby. I repeat: the city BUILT that kitchen… for use by a restaurant. Go check it out, and you’ll see that the brickwork is the same as that of the Ausonia nearby.
As another NEW.com reader has already pointed out, the mountains of trash piled up at the corner of Lewis and Commercial do not come from 3 Lewis, but from the Ausonia (which dumps it in front of the 3 Lewis parking lot). 3 Lewis is not the cause of the trash problem already on that street.
Last, it would seem that the Prince Building is pulling a “NIMBY” because the new tenant at 3 Lewis is not proposing a “Tea Shoppe” or high end/Newbury-preppy retail outlet like the last two occupants of the site. Given the North End’s historic (and extremely regrettable) expressions of prejudice toward certain minority groups over the course of the 20th century, something I have personally witnessed and deplore, I can only hope that this is not what motivated some of the area’s current residents to manifest against a Mexican-owned business.
I hope the City’s Zoning Board makes a proper ruling, and Mr. Sandoval can bring his very successful business venture into a very tolerant North End.
Great post NENative!
like i stated earlier certain members on the board who voted against live in vicinity and or tenoch is not part of the clique crowd who earlier in meeting got vote of approval….as far as the prince building they want to be considered NE residents only when it affects them when it doesn’t they just want to be considered part of the high rent district!!!!
@LLR are you saying that people living near something don’t have the right to opppose it or that other people on the board don’t think about the bllcok they live on? cause that’s what is sounds like you’re saying
Sometimes when I’m walking home from the blue line, I like to stop in and grab a delicious 7$ burrito instead of a subpar 14$ plate of spaghetti. Glad this restaurant is here.