PLEASE help us by signing our petition so we can stay in business! PLEASE do not donate to iPetition — we are NOT asking for money. We are ONLY asking for signatures. Thank you!
Rapscallion Table & Tap is a family-owned restaurant based out of a 1700s farmhouse owned by the Miquel family for generations at 5 Strawberry Hill Road in Acton, MA. Claude Miquel's beautiful, rustic property has a licensed capacity for 90 people. We have an existing secondary parking lot on our own property so that we can provide parking to seat our patrons. Unfortunately, we are zoned through an old bylaw in the Town of Acton to have 30 parking spaces. We have asked the Town to allow us to park cars on our own property so that we can continue to stay in business, but they have not worked with us on this issue or allowed us any variances. We are willing to partner to find a solution, but the Town has not provided any solutions other than to tell us we cannot park in our lot. In addition, after we opened in 2015, the Town disallowed street parking on Strawberry Hill Road (2018), which caused hardship for our overflow parking availability.
While we so appreciate the Town's employees and understand the Town has to enforce bylaws, they were written at a time when families had one car, roads were far less busy, and people walked to venues. Additionally, most other restaurants in Acton have overflow parking in public lots for their patrons. While we are allowed to use Gould's Plaza, there is a very dangerous street crossing from Gould's to our restaurant with no streetlight, and we worry about our customers. There have been multiple accidents at the intersection where our patrons are expected to cross. We have requested over the past eight years that a light be added to the intersection, but the Town has stated it is the State's responsibility, nothing has come of it, and we still have no solution. This is not a sustainable business model for us today as a 90 seat restaurant with 30 spaces. All we have asked is that we are allowed a variance due to our lack of safe overflow parking and the outdated bylaws which do not take into consideration today's traffic.
We have not asked the Town for anything other than to allow us to park more cars on our property. Without additional parking, we will not be able to operate our business profitably and we will have no other choice than to leave the Town of Acton. We are asking our valued patrons, community organizations, and friends to please sign this petition asking the Town to allow us to park in our existing gravel parking lot on our own property. We assure everyone that this costs the Town and townspeople nothing, affects nobody other than our own land, and would allow a small, family-run business to continue to operate. Rapscallion is owned by two brothers whose dad is the CFO, and we employ dozens of local individuals (who also need to park their cars) while serving and giving back to the local community. All we ask is that we be allowed to stay in business in the Town of Acton by allowing additional parking spaces on our land.
Thank you!
Cedric & Peter Daniel, Co-Proprietors
Rapscallion Table & Tap
Updates
Reached 2,500 supporters
June 18, 2022
Reached 1,000 supporters
June 17, 2022
Reached 100 supporters
June 16, 2022
June 16, 2022
Reaching one thousand signatures will demonstrate that this community values the history and presence of our restaurant. Please encourage a neighbor or a friend who enjoys this space to add their name to our total. This level of support provides the tangible evidence we need to engage the town in a constructive conversation about our future.
875 Comments
Rapscallion is a wonderful business that brings happiness to so many people. We had our wedding reception there. It’s such a positive and peaceful destination and huge value add to the Town. Allowing expanded parking on site is plain good sense.
This is bylaw is a load of nonsense. There is literally zero issue with cars parking on Rapscallion property. Would the Acton NIMBY club prefer cars park alongside the neighboring residential streets? Because that’s what will happen.
As a former member of the EDC, I can say that this lack of momentum to accommodate a small business that is doing everything it can to be a valuable part of the community is a travesty. Rapscallion is exactly the type of business we should all want in Acton.
Please give Rapscallion a variance-their additional parking is well-thought out and affects none of their neighbors adversely. Asking employees or patrons to cross Rt. 2A is needlessly dangerous. Support this small business and keep it in Acton!
This is a great place and good for our town. They care about our community and generously donate/sponsor our school sports. Please work with them and be find a reasonable solution that allows them to have enough parking spaces that are safe for their customers.
99 willow st
Allow them to do what they must to stay in business and keep customers safe.
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PLEASE help us by signing our petition so we can stay in business! PLEASE do not donate to iPetition — we are NOT asking for money. We are ONLY asking for signatures. Thank you!
Rapscallion Table & Tap is a family-owned restaurant based out of a 1700s farmhouse owned by the Miquel family for generations at 5 Strawberry Hill Road in Acton, MA. Claude Miquel's beautiful, rustic property has a licensed capacity for 90 people. We have an existing secondary parking lot on our own property so that we can provide parking to seat our patrons. Unfortunately, we are zoned through an old bylaw in the Town of Acton to have 30 parking spaces. We have asked the Town to allow us to park cars on our own property so that we can continue to stay in business, but they have not worked with us on this issue or allowed us any variances. We are willing to partner to find a solution, but the Town has not provided any solutions other than to tell us we cannot park in our lot. In addition, after we opened in 2015, the Town disallowed street parking on Strawberry Hill Road (2018), which caused hardship for our overflow parking availability.
While we so appreciate the Town's employees and understand the Town has to enforce bylaws, they were written at a time when families had one car, roads were far less busy, and people walked to venues. Additionally, most other restaurants in Acton have overflow parking in public lots for their patrons. While we are allowed to use Gould's Plaza, there is a very dangerous street crossing from Gould's to our restaurant with no streetlight, and we worry about our customers. There have been multiple accidents at the intersection where our patrons are expected to cross. We have requested over the past eight years that a light be added to the intersection, but the Town has stated it is the State's responsibility, nothing has come of it, and we still have no solution. This is not a sustainable business model for us today as a 90 seat restaurant with 30 spaces. All we have asked is that we are allowed a variance due to our lack of safe overflow parking and the outdated bylaws which do not take into consideration today's traffic.
We have not asked the Town for anything other than to allow us to park more cars on our property. Without additional parking, we will not be able to operate our business profitably and we will have no other choice than to leave the Town of Acton. We are asking our valued patrons, community organizations, and friends to please sign this petition asking the Town to allow us to park in our existing gravel parking lot on our own property. We assure everyone that this costs the Town and townspeople nothing, affects nobody other than our own land, and would allow a small, family-run business to continue to operate. Rapscallion is owned by two brothers whose dad is the CFO, and we employ dozens of local individuals (who also need to park their cars) while serving and giving back to the local community. All we ask is that we be allowed to stay in business in the Town of Acton by allowing additional parking spaces on our land.
Thank you!
Cedric & Peter Daniel, Co-Proprietors
Rapscallion Table & Tap
Updates
Reached 2,500 supporters
June 18, 2022
Reached 1,000 supporters
June 17, 2022
Reached 100 supporters
June 16, 2022
June 16, 2022
Reaching one thousand signatures will demonstrate that this community values the history and presence of our restaurant. Please encourage a neighbor or a friend who enjoys this space to add their name to our total. This level of support provides the tangible evidence we need to engage the town in a constructive conversation about our future.
875 Comments
As a resident of Acton, the Town has been able to change zoning and Bylaws to allow for lots of housing developments on tiny lots, lets figure out a way to update old codes to let a family run business, that is loved, have more parking. It's not difficult.
Rapscallion is a wonderful business that brings happiness to so many people. We had our wedding reception there. It’s such a positive and peaceful destination and huge value add to the Town. Allowing expanded parking on site is plain good sense.
This is bylaw is a load of nonsense. There is literally zero issue with cars parking on Rapscallion property. Would the Acton NIMBY club prefer cars park alongside the neighboring residential streets? Because that’s what will happen.
As a former member of the EDC, I can say that this lack of momentum to accommodate a small business that is doing everything it can to be a valuable part of the community is a travesty. Rapscallion is exactly the type of business we should all want in Acton.
Please give Rapscallion a variance-their additional parking is well-thought out and affects none of their neighbors adversely. Asking employees or patrons to cross Rt. 2A is needlessly dangerous. Support this small business and keep it in Acton!
This is a great place and good for our town. They care about our community and generously donate/sponsor our school sports. Please work with them and be find a reasonable solution that allows them to have enough parking spaces that are safe for their customers.
99 willow st
Allow them to do what they must to stay in business and keep customers safe.
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As a resident of Acton, the Town has been able to change zoning and Bylaws to allow for lots of housing developments on tiny lots, lets figure out a way to update old codes to let a family run business, that is loved, have more parking. It's not difficult.