Moving forward on plans for a temporary Moozy’s Ice Cream & Yogurt Emporium has been a source of frustration for all parties involved, as communication issues, asbestos cleanup, and missing paperwork delay its opening on Trapelo Road.
“The permitting process is about as difficult as I’ve ever seen in any other project I’ve done,” said owner Dante Muzzioli. “It’s like a hurdle that can never be climbed … because I don’t have a comprehensive list of what they want.”
After a fire in May caused irreparable damage to the interior of the ice cream restaurant at 2 Trapelo Road, Muzzioli began working on plans for a temporary structure.
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“We’ve been working closely with him and (Manager) Becca Pizzi trying to make his dream happen,” Belmont Health Department Director Wesley Chin said. “I know he has been frustrated when we come back and have questions to ask, but it’s all part of the plan review process. There’s a back and forth, and if there’s missing information, we have to ask for it. This is how a plan review works.”
Muzzioli has acquired a storage container, painted orange and highlighted in green, which was recently placed abutting the now-construction site. In July, he met with town officials to map a path forward.
In mid-July, he submitted paperwork to the Health Department, according to Chin, but some applications were incomplete. While the food plan review has been approved (which includes a review of the kitchen design, ensuring everything is compliant with federal food safety codes), Chin said he is waiting on information about the equipment Muzzioli will use — to ensure it is commercial grade — and how he plans to manage wastewater from the site.
Muzzioli said, regarding the request for a wastewater plan, “we’re not generating much wastewater.”
“We’re not prepping food, we’re going to sell ice cream,” he added.
Muzzioli said he has an electrical permit but cannot get a building permit without approval of the plumbing plans — which partly rely on approval from the Health Department.
Delaying the process further is asbestos removal at the abutting construction site, where the Moozy’s portion of the building was razed after the fire.
“I think that’s been a source of frustration for a lot of people,” Chin said.
Building Inspector Ara Yogurtian said that, in collaboration with other town departments, he issued a Stop-Work order until the state Department of Environmental Protection gives the OK to proceed. The order was still in place as of Tuesday morning, according to Muzzioli.
Muzzioli said he has everything else in place to begin operations if and when permissions are granted.