A New Life for the Old Dry Cleaner Building?

Since moving to Stafford, I’ve often walked by the building at 27 East Main Street and thought, “This would make a great deli.” Or, on a different day, “Someone should put a bar in here, with a big garage door near the canal so you can look out over the water.” Well, on September 4, 2025, a couple from Woodstock* brought their vision for the space before the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC). It was an informal talk, meaning there was no actual application before the commission – just a couple of people who want to buy the building and do their due diligence first. There was plenty of good news for them.

The couple is interested in putting a restaurant/bar in the space – starting small with a cafe license – with a patio out by the water. So, what did the PZC have to say about the idea? The general sentiment was go for it, but do your homework because it’s a tricky site. 

You may be wondering, “Wouldn’t an old dry cleaner be too contaminated to turn into a restaurant?” The commission had the same question, but Amber Wakley Whaley, the town’s Director of Grants & Community Development, who also works on brownfields projects, was there and confirmed Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) have been conducted. A Phase I ESA involves a historical review and site inspection, and a Phase II ESA includes soil, water, or air sampling to confirm and quantify contamination.* With that hurdle out of the way, the discussion continued.

PZC Chair Dave Palmberg said that a restaurant and alcoholic beverages are allowed with a Special Use Permit, and turned the discussion toward parking. As we all know, downtown parking can be an issue, and the potential new owners wanted to know if on-street parking and use of the town lot are possible. 

Typically, one parking space per three seats in a restaurant is required, but the commission said they are able to waive up to half of that requirement. They said that by using the small driveway and parking area behind the building and combining it with public parking, the restaurant could satisfy the requirements. Additionally, properties in the Central Business District are not subject to the same requirements, but require commission review to ensure a parking problem won’t be created. 

There was also discussion about the fact that the new restaurant would mostly serve people in the surrounding buildings who are on foot, and at night, the businesses in the immediate vicinity are closed. And because the building is removed from the most congested parts of downtown, they won’t likely compete with the other restaurants and bars for parking.

Lately, the PZC has taken to having Commissioner Rich Shuck put together summaries for informal meetings. The goal is to provide people with an understanding of some of the issues they may encounter and what they need to consider. This one included a process overview, explaining the step-by-step approval process. But they also encouraged the potential new owners to visit during Arts on Main, to see exactly how busy downtown can get, and what a good spot 27 East Main Street can be for a business. Additionally, the PZC offered a reminder that they come back for as much guidance as necessary through the process. 

*While I got the general gist of their names, I did not get the spelling as they left before the end of the meeting. I'll get them next time.

** This article originally said "that remediation work was already done on the property" but, in fact, the initial testing was done.