Southwick Board of Health Hears Crepes Tea House Seating Plan, Defers Vote

Board of Health · Meeting of February 3, 2026

Southwick Board of Health hears Crepes Tea House seating cap proposal but takes no vote. Attorney Rachel Fancy of Fitzgerald Law Offices presented a written draft plan that would limit outdoor gazebo seating to 20 people by reservation only, lock Gazebos 2 and 3 entirely for an initial trial period, and embed those conditions in the restaurant's special permit, which currently authorizes 93 total seats. The board, which is concerned about stress on the septic system, planned to discuss the proposal in executive session before reporting back to the Planning Board.

Interim Health Director Helen Simons reported 29 permit applications and approximately $4,345 in fees collected in January, flagged that Dollar General's new College Highway location is barred from selling tobacco after failing its first inspection, and said cease-and-desist letters are being drafted for Kettle Bread and White Sands Sun Spa over outstanding permit components. Public Health Nurse Tricia Sutlow noted that two opioid-related deaths occurred in Southwick in 2024 and expressed frustration that Narcan distribution boxes have been rejected by town leadership, and Simons warned that federal grant funding supporting the district nursing program may lapse after July 2027 if state replacement funding does not pass the legislature.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 1,046 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.