J K's Market to Open Earlier, Face Public Review

A Main Street convenience store got permission to open 15 minutes earlier this week, but may be under increased scrutiny as a result.

The Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, approved Kalpesh Patel’s request to be able to open J K’s Market at 5:45 a.m., a bit earlier than its previous opening time of 6 a.m., but also said that Patel will have to return for a hearing when it’s time to renew his early opening permit.

Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner said that such permits can usually be renewed by town administrators, but Selectman James Bonazoli suggested that Patel’s permit should return for another hearing after Patel’s neighbors complained about the way he kept the property.

June Davey of abutting 18 Knollwood Road complained that Patel, in the past, had been slow to make necessary repairs. At one time, she said, the air conditioner on top of the 212 Main Street building was making noise and disturbing the neighborhood, and it took Patel months to repair it.

Patel explained to the board that the repair happened slowly because his first attempts to remedying the problem failed. Ultimately, he said, he replaced the entire system at a cost of $15,000.

Patel added that he only wanted permission to open the store 15 minutes earlier because that’s when he arrives to do his morning preparations. While getting the newspapers and coffee ready, he said, customers sometimes enter the store because the door is unlocked.

But other residents also had complaints. Richard Carroll of 12 Knollwood Road, said that Patel sometimes left his dumpster open, allowing rodents and seagulls free access to the waste. Trucks also empty those dumpsters, Carroll said, before 6 a.m.

Patel’s permit will expire on Dec. 31.