A new application filed with the land use office may turn the site of the former Dock and Dine restaurant at Saybrook point into a seasonal outdoor barbeque restaurant.

Earlier this year, The Point LLC, met with the Zoning Commission for an informal discussion about turning the former Dock and Dine property at 145 College Street into Smoke on the Water, an outdoor barbecue restaurant. Now, an application has formally been filed.

Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) Chris Costa said that the Zoning Commission hearing will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11. It had been previously scheduled for Sept. 26 but was pushed back after the applicants requested more time to respond to comments from Costa.

According to a Statement of Use letter dated July 27 from Colt Taylor and Jon Kodama, the applicants stated the desire to build a restaurant with a maximum 268-person capacity. Since the property is located in a flood zone, the proposal calls for the restaurant to use mobile trailers for food prep, office, storage, restrooms, refrigeration which would allow for the trailers to be hauled away in the event of a severe storm. The restaurant would be open for a maximum of 180 days between April and November, operating daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Statement of Use also acknowledged that hours may shift in the fall and spring. Alcohol would be allowed on the restaurant premises.

Additionally, the letter states that a dock will be reconstructed on the property. “The dock will have a four-hour time limitation and no overnight docking will be allowed. The dock will also have five public access benches for scenic overlook. There will be additional coastal access as the walkway on the adjacent southern town property will extend from the to the entrance to the boat dock,” according to the letter. The letter goes on to state that benches and bike racks will be put on the property and that the town will be given an easement for coastal access.

When the applicants met with the Zoning Commission earlier this year, much of the Commission’s critiques centered on the use of a pavilion on the property. The original plan called for some seats to be stationed under the pavilion so that there would be places to sit in the event of a light sprinkle of rain.

Unfortunately for the applicants, the commission members stated the use of seats under the pavilion would make the restaurant qualify as an indoor restaurant, not an outdoor one. To have a successful outdoor restaurant application, the applicants needed to revise the plan. Under the new statement of use, the pavilion is stated to be used for cooking and food prep, not seating.

If the application rings a bell, it’s probably because 2022 is not the first time that the Smoke on the Water application has been in front of the Zoning Commission. Last year, a similar proposal was voted down by the commission due to a lack of required information in application that prevented technical staff from reviewing that proposal.

Additionally, some residents in nearby neighborhoods have also objected in the past to plans for Smoke on the Water. More than 70 residents of the North Cove neighborhood signed a petition objecting to the proposal based on expressed concerns about odors, noise, parking at Saybrook Point, and other related issues.

Redeveloping the Saybrook point property has been a goal for almost 10 years at this juncture. Dock & Dine was a popular restaurant that stood at Saybrook point until the double whammy of Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 and then Superstorm Sandy in 2012 rendered the restaurant inoperable. The property has remained vacant despite interest in redeveloping the area over the last decade.