College Hill to Get a Burrito Joint

When students move in to the new apartments that were recently of March and Cattell streets, they won't have to travel far to find food.

Across the street, at 518 March St., Juan Martinez is one step closer to opening an new burrito restaurant aimed at Lafayette's student population.

The restaurant will employ eight people and keep hours convenient to college students, Martinez said.

It will not serve or sell alcohol, and the restaurant is not planning any outdoor dining either, he added.

In addition to cash, the restaurant, located on a Lafayette College-owned property, plans to tie into the student dining card system.

Formerly a clothing store, the change in use normally requires 10 parking spaces to be added to accommodate the additional traffic.

The Easton Planning Commission unanimously voted to grant a special exception relieving the new eatery of that requirement, noting that the majority of the the new business would be foot traffic.

The restaurant will seat 30 and plans on being open until 9 p.m. weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends, with shortened hours in summer months when few students are present.

In other planning commission business, approval was also granted to , along with the Clinton Terrace and Cattell Street parking lot proposal.

Emergency access concerns are addressed in the final plans, city planning department director Becky Bradley said, though some final details regarding the plan for reinforced turf on the quadrant remain.

Notably, field testing during the construction process will have to be carried out to ensure the surface is capable of supporting an aerial fire truck, and an agreement with the city will be required regarding the maintenance of the surface. If not properly maintained, the stability of the ground could be compromised, city officials have said.

City attorney Joel Scheer recommended the agreement contain a provision that would require the college to replace the area with a traditional hard surface if the city determines the college fails to maintain the area.

“We're really still concerned with the emergency access agreement, but that's normally worked out in the end,” Bradley said.

With little discussion, approval to increase the number of parking spots in a college-owned parking lot at Clinton Terrace and Cattell Street from 26 to 36 was granted by the commission.

The lot, which is reserved for students and college staff, was granted preliminary approval for expansion in Oct. 2010.