Southwick Planning Board Approves Outdoor Dining Permits for Grapes Tea House

SOUTHWICK -- March 24, 2026, Southwick Planning Board unanimously approves outdoor dining expansion for Grapes Tea House at 157 Feeding Hills Road. The board voted five times, each unanimously, to grant a special permit modification, Wellhead Protection District, Non-Conforming Use and Structure, and Flood Hazard and Wetlands District special permits, plus site plan approval, at its March 24 meeting. Attorney Rachel Fancy represented the applicant, telling the board "we want to work with the town, we want to move this forward, we want to show and rebuild this relationship." The permits allow the restaurant to operate outdoor dining in one of three on-site gazebo structures, capped at 20 patrons and 93 total combined with the main building, under a probationary operating window of May 1 through September 15, 2026; any capacity violation triggers an immediate suspension and a public revocation hearing. The applicant must return to the Planning Board no later than January 31, 2027 to seek continued authorization, after a Board of Health review.