5 Things to Know About the Common Ground Proposal

Common Ground’s owner, Bob O’Guin, and his attorney, John Leone, went before the Redevelopment Board Monday for a special permit. Although no decision was made on the permit and the hearing will be continued Monday, Aug. 19, here’s what we learned:

1.) What is being proposed?

Bob O’Guin, owner of Common Ground Bar & Grill at 85 Harvard Ave. in Allston, is trying to open a gastropub, which would also be named Common Ground, at 319 Broadway, the former site of Gemma in Arlington Center’s Broadway Plaza.

According to O’Guin’s current plans, the restaurant would have 120 seats in the front dining area and a function room in the back, with a capacity of 108. The function hall could be rented out by private parties, it would not be used for events such as rock concerts, O’Guin said.

O’Guin’s plans also call for 28 outdoor seats on Broadway Plaza to be separated by planters. However, his attorney, John Leone, said the chances these seats would be approved by the Board of Selectmen were “iffy at best.”

The restaurant’s front windows would be “accordion-style,” allowing them to open all the way up when the weather permits, according to the plans.

O’Guin said his menu would be a bit cheaper than Not Your Average Joe’s. He said he uses locally-sourced food as much as possible.

O’Guin’s proposed hours of operation were 11 a.m. to midnight.

2.) Would the Arlington location be run the same as the Allston one?

Quite simply put, “No,” according to Leone and O’Guin.

Leone said the gastropub would not be “a bar room at all,” it would be closer to a high-end restaurant.

“[O’Guin is not aiming] at the college drinking crowd at all,” he said. “People would have dinner and a few beers and go home, not hang around all night and drink.”

“[O’Guin] understands the difference between Arlington and Allston,” Leone added.

O’Guin said he wouldn’t have karaoke nights in Arlington, like he does in Allston. He would bring trivia to town though. “Trivia is just fun anywhere,” he said.

Robert Mirak, a developer of the Legacy apartments across Mass. Ave., was skeptical of O’Guin’s plans. Mirak said the restaurant may open as a gastropub, but he believed it might turn into a “sports bar” eventually.

Mirak and his colleagues from the Legacy spoke against the proposal, citing primarily parking/congestion and noise issues.

3.) What were the main issues with the proposal?

In a word: Parking.

The use of the space isn’t under the purview of the Redevelopment Board (the alcohol, common victualler licenses fall under the Board of Selectmen), but parking is, and it was discussed at length Monday (the hearing went on for almost three hours).

Gemma had 82 seats, requiring it to have about 20 parking spaces, according to Leone. With Common Ground’s proposed 228 (even though the function room wouldn’t be used every night, most likely, it still counts toward the seat count; the outdoor seating does not), it needs 57 spaces, Leone said.

Michael Ruderman, a Town Meeting member who lives at 9 Alton St. around the corner, spoke out strongly against the proposal.

“It’s too big, it’s too late, it’s too loud,” he said.

Ruderman said, even with the space vacant, cars already park on nearby side streets, like his. “How is it working now? Parking is a mess now, that’s how it’s working now,” he said.

Parking in municipal lots, such as the Russell Common lot behind Arlington Catholic High School can be used toward the restaurant’s requirement. However, Ruderman and others argued that those spots have been granted to other restaurants and businesses over and over again during past permitting.

Madrona Tree owner Tanya Abraham and Alton Street Dance owner Elizabeth Cammarata also raised parking concerns.

“I’m definitely for new businesses,” Abraham said, “but I have 19 seats and one of the biggest complaints I get is the parking – I lost patrons all the time because of it.”

Richard Stavros, of the Regent Theatre, said Common Ground would serve his clientele well, especially after shows, which tend to end around 10/10:30 p.m.

He said he would like to see the town discuss turning the Russell Common lot into a two- or three-level garage.

4.) Did any residents speak in favor of the proposal?

Yes, one man did.

Seth Cargiuolo, who lives in the Legacy, said he is “100 percent in favor” of the proposal.

Cargiuolo said he loves the idea of having a neighborhood pub in Arlington Center. “Frankly, I don’t know what else you could put in there that’d be successful,” he said.

5.) What are the next steps?

The hearing was continued until the Redevelopment Board’s next meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, the same night O’Guin and Leone are scheduled to go before the Board of Selectmen.

Redevelopment Board member Andrew West requested a map of public parking within 1,000 feet of the property from the applicant. He also wanted to see a parking mitigation plan in writing at the next meeting – how O’Guin would encourage his customers to use the Russell Common lot, for instance.

The board did not request a professional parking or traffic study at this time. Members did ask for more information on the soundproofing of the function room and the restaurant’s proposed filtration system as well.

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