Lebanon — Construction of a sandwich shop and specialty market in downtown West Lebanon could begin as early as June, according to a Lyme couple proposing the business.

Amber and Kurt Boland plan to renovate the old Westboro ticket station on Railroad Avenue and connect it to a new, two-story building. The construction would result in a 2,786-square-foot space housing a market, deli with seating and an office next to West Lebanon Feed and Supply.

The proposal garnered city approval last week, with the Lebanon Planning Board voting unanimously to allow the project to go forward.

“Our focus will be sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch and we’re planning on doing our own rolls,” Amber Boland said on Sunday.

The restaurant, which will seat about 60 people, will also offer soups, salads and small plates, Boland said. Craft beer is likely to be on tap, she said, adding they’d start with New Hampshire brews and add on Vermont-made beers later.

The ticket office, once used by the nearby rail yard, will be restored to house a market, Boland said. People will be able to purchase a variety of pastries, smoothies and fresh juices, among other goods there, she said.

Both buildings will be designed with a “rustic industrial look” to match the historic rail yard, according to Boland. That means customers can expect to see hardwood, high ceilings and steal beams in the interior decor.

Planners were first approached by the Bolands with the idea in January, and officials performed a formal review over the past two months. Although the Planning Board offered overwhelming support of the proposal, there was concern about the business’ location.

The two buildings will sit on a 0.4 acre lot neighboring the state-owned railroad property, West Lebanon Feed and Supply and an empty parcel that’s slated for future development. Because one of those abutting properties is landlocked, the parcel being developed by the Bolands includes an access easement that had to be worked around in the design.

Plans call for 23 parking spaces, with two that can be relocated if the easement is ever needed. Because the project sits within the central business district, it is exempt from city parking regulations, but some said the proposed parking wasn’t enough.

Curt Jacques, who owns West Lebanon Feed and Supply, told the Planning Board that it’s already difficult to find parking in the area and worried deli customers would park at his business if they can’t find room elsewhere.

“I don’t want to get into an issue where I have a wrecker service down there towing people that are parked because my customers can’t have a place to park,” Jacques said according to an audio recording of last Monday’s meeting.

Jacques also said he would like to see the Bolands address issues surrounding flooding in the area, as well as provide proper landscaping.

“The landscaping is really important to me so I expect it to look great and beautiful,” replied Amber Boland, who holds a master’s degree in conservation biology.

Boland said she understands concerns about parking in the area too. She met with neighbors and was able to gain a letter of support from Kevin Purcell, the owner of Purcell Properties, the company which plans to develop the abutting lot.

“It seems to me that this site has as much parking as it can possibly have,” Planning Board member Joan Monroe said later in the recording, adding employees sometimes have to walk a little longer to make room for customers.

“If there is a need for a municipal lot, then the workers and visitors in downtown West Lebanon need to basically organize themselves, perhaps by a petition, and say ‘We want this city to be aware of this and it’s become severe enough that we need to do something about it,’ ” Monroe said.

Boland said on Sunday there are two more steps before construction can begin. She’s waiting to finalize financing for the project and is hoping to sign a purchase and sales agreement for the property this week.

The land and ticket office is currently owned by David Clem, who also owns the former West Lebanon Library building and is developing the mixed-use River Park project nearby on Route 10.

If all goes to plan, the businesses could open sometime shortly after the New Year, Boland said.

“In a way, we still have a long way to go, but (approval) got us on a roll,” she said.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.