West Lebanon
Amber and Kurt Boland are hoping to purchase 26 Railroad Ave., near West Lebanon Feed and Supply, and construct a two-story restaurant on the property, according to plans submitted to the city.
The couple also would restore the old Westboro ticket station and is considering opening a small market and cafe in the building, which currently sits on the land.
The proposal will go before the Lebanon Planning Board for a conceptual hearing on Monday, an early stage in the city’s review process for new projects.
“After this preliminary review and negotiations with the landowner, we will determine whether we will file for formal site plan approval,” Amber Boland said in an email on Tuesday.
The 0.4-acre property currently is owned by developer David Clem, who purchased it for $210,000 in 2012, according to city assessing records.
Clem also owns the old former West Lebanon Library building and is developing the mixed-use River Park project nearby.
At the time he purchased it, the Railroad Avenue lot was home to another historic building, a residential duplex built in 1860 to house railroad workers.
Clem demolished the duplex and moved the old ticket depot onto the property shortly after the sale, said architect Frank Barrett, who’s working on the restoration project.
“The building’s pretty much intact, certainly on the exterior,” Barrett said on Tuesday, adding it needs a new foundation and other repairs.
He estimates the depot was built around the turn of the 20th century to serve the Northern Railroad at the Westboro Rail Yard, which began shuttling goods and passengers through West Lebanon in 1848.
The railroad eventually dropped its passenger line, in 1964, but the ticket station itself was taken out of use in 1952, according to Curt Jacques, who owns the neighboring West Lebanon Feed and Supply.
Jacques remembers the building then being used for several purposes, such as a VFW post, a flooring store and home for the Olivet Baptist Church. The station was owned by the White River Junction-based New England Transportation Museum until Clem purchased it along with the Railroad Avenue property.
“I’m just really pleased to see that the building will be saved and given a whole new lease on life,” Barrett said.
He intends to paint the building in classic Boston & Maine Railroad colors: a deep maroon with yellow clapboards with a black window sash. (B&M later purchased the Northern Railroad).
The nearby restaurant also would be made to look like a historical industrial-style building. The first floor would be home to a counter-service restaurant and small bar that could seat 45 to 50 people, while the second floor would have a mezzanine and two offices. Eighteen parking spaces would be available, according to the initial plans.
The news of a possible project came as a surprise to Jacques, the West Lebanon Feed and Supply owner. He also is in ongoing talks with Clem to purchase the property.
“I think at the very least it’s an interesting idea,” he said of the project, adding he’s supportive of seeing new businesses come to the city.
However, it’s still unclear how the business would attract customers. Railroad Avenue is out of sight of much of the Main Street thoroughfare, and has very little parking.
Clem directed questions to the Bolands, and Amber Boland declined to answer additional questions about the business on Tuesday.
Barrett said he expects the project to obtain city approval quickly, with construction starting this spring. The Planning Board is scheduled to begin its conceptual review at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at City Hall.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.