Millbrook hearing airs House of Stefan request to add small generator

MILLBROOK — A brief public hearing on a request by the owners of a new restaurant under construction along Franklin Avenue was held at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Monday, Nov. 18.

The House of Stefan is nearing completion of its construction phase and is due to open around January. Essential to the business is a small generator that has been added to the site plan drawings, owner John Stefanopoulos noted for the board.

The small Generac unit, measuring 3 by 5 feet, will provide emergency power in the event of a power outage, Stefanopoulos explained, any noise from the small unit to be mitigated by sound baffling materials. The small residential-sized unit will be installed behind the building, providing power mainly for refrigeration.

Neighboring business owner Jeffrey Zwirn of the Millbrook Antiques Center spoke in praise of the new restaurant being built next door, calling it “a heartbeat for the village.”

“You can’t run a business without a generator,” Zwirn said.

“Since they will be storing food, they returned for permission to install a generator,” explained planning board chairman Frank Redl.

Other aspects of the site plan were the subject of an earlier public hearing process that occurred before the project was approved, he explained. Residents asked questions about parking, hours of operation, and noise, questions that were not relevant to the generator.

Stefanopoulos indicated his intention that the restaurant will be a good neighbor, that any resident with a concern about the restaurant operation will be welcome to contact him.

Applications for accessory apartments are increasing in number, Redl observed. Two new applications and their site plans will be the subject of public hearings at the Monday, Dec. 16, planning board meeting. One is planned at 3308 Franklin Ave. and the other at 24 North Ave.