Yankee Drover Site –

Borough Zoners Approve New Inn For Main Street

By Andrew Gorosko

The Borough Zoning Commission this week approved a local couple’s plans to construct an inn at 29 Main Street, a site that has been vacant since 1981, when a fire destroyed the historic Yankee Drover Inn, which formerly stood there.

The prominent location is at the corner of Main Street and the southerly fork of West Street, adjacent to The Newtown Meetinghouse and on a diagonal from the Main Street flagpole.

After reviewing plans for the project, Borough Zoning Commission members February 11 unanimously approved the construction application from Jane and John Vouros. The project has been in the works for several years.

In their review, commission members focused on the parking and traffic issues posed by the development under the terms of their “504-E review process.”

Builder Kim Danziger represented the Vouroses before the commission.

Borough Zoning Official Jean St Jean explained that the several years ago, the Vouroses sought and received approval for their project from the Borough Zoning Board of Appeals. A construction size limit for the project was then set at 15,200 square feet, which was the size of the Yankee Drover Inn.

Mr Danziger said the new inn would be approximately 5,400 square feet in area. Construction drawings indicate a future potential expansion wing to the rear of the structure.

The Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission has approved plans for the inn, Mr Danziger told the borough zoners.

Through the traditional architecture of the structure, the Vouroses seek to reflect the architectural character of Main Street, Mr Danziger said. An existing dilapidated barn on the site would be demolished. A three-vehicle garage attached to the rear of the inn would have a barnlike appearance.

The first floor of the inn would hold gathering rooms for the inn’s guests, Mr Danziger said. The second story would hold the owners’ residential suite, plus four guest rooms, he added.

 The Vouroses have discussed traffic flow at the property with the state Department of Transportation, Mr Danziger said. Main Street, also known as Route 25, is a state road.

The two-story inn will have dormers, plus a faux widow’s walk, that will be used to conceal air conditioning equipment atop the roof. The structure will have a full attic and a basement. Nine parking spaces would be provided on a gravel-surfaced guest parking lot.

The structure will be set back further from Main Street than the Yankee Drover Inn formerly stood, Mr Danziger said. The Vouroses hope to illuminate the site with functional gas lighting, he added.

Mr Danziger said he expects construction to start about May 1. Construction is expected to last nine months. The inn is as yet unnamed.

In practical terms, the business may function as a bed-and-breakfast establishment, but because the borough zoning regulations do not allow such a land use within the borough, the facility is categorized as an inn.