Wayland Select Board defers Dudley Chateau outdoor dining vote amid neighbor objections

WAYLAND — May 18, 2026 — Wayland Select Board punts on Dudley Chateau outdoor dining license after neighbor pushback. The three-member quorum of Chair Carol B. Martin, Vice-Chair Doug Levine and William Whitney voted 3-0 to continue the hearing to June 1 over questions about Planning Board jurisdiction and complaints from four Dudley Pond abutters about noise, illegal parking and emergency access. Owner Ken Phillips said the request would not raise the restaurant's 85-seat capacity but formalize a patio operating since COVID-19; co-owner Mandy Phillips said last seating is 7:30 p.m. Earlier, Fire Chief Neil McPherson presented a 109-page Municipal Resources Inc. staffing study with 35 recommendations warning the department is "operating near the limits of its current staffing and deployment model." The board also approved a consent calendar including a $3,748,500 paving contract with Nocella Landscaping, a $2,275,350 reconstruction contract with P.J. Albert and a $30,700 state hazard mitigation grant.