After months of delays for permitting and planning, the developer of the former site of Bert’s restaurant was cleared by town officials last week to start building an outdoor festival venue on the once iconic waterfront site.
Scott Hokanson, owner of the health insurance firm Brabo Benefits, leased the abandoned property last year and has been working with town officials for permission to open an outdoor venue including up to four food trucks, vendor booths, and a weekend music venue.
The zoning permit was approved July 22, but only after months of frustration and changes to his original plans.
“I’m frustrated because I would love for people to be out there having hot dogs and beer right now,” Hokanson told the Independent in a phone interview. He said he is “honestly surprised at how difficult it has been.”
Just before the permit was granted last week, Hokanson – who is also chair of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce – said he had doubts whether the project was financially feasible because of the delays. Hokanson’s company is a donor to the Independent.
The permit came through on Wednesday after the Independent called town officials to check on the status of the project. Now Hokanson said he is “100%” ready to proceed and hopes to open the site as early as September.
“I view life way too positively sometimes … but I was way off,” he said of his “probably unreasonable” expectations the venue could open in August or July. “June was a pipe dream.”
Town officials interviewed said the project was far more complicated given its location and temporary nature, and the project’s unusual mix of seasonal uses including holiday festivals and outdoor events.
Steve Bolotin, chair of the Plymouth Planning Board, described the idea as “great for the town.”
“This project is a little bit different than what the town typically sees,” Bolotin said. “We normally see someone proposing to build a structure rather than a temporary facility.”
He said the process was also complicated by the waterfront location, and the site’s exposure to high tides and rough weather conditions.
“This is an area that we know is subject to significant wind, rain, and seawater intrusion:” Bolotin said. “So, he certainly needs to make sure that what he’s putting in there is resilient, both in terms of the natural features and any structures such as fences that he may be putting up.”
Jason Silva, director of inspectional services for the town, also said the project was “not typical.”
“Scott understands he is asking for a very challenging request because it’s complicated and requires multiple agencies to allow a temporary use,” Silva said.
The conditions at the location forced Hokanson to curtail his original plan for a temporary tent to host weddings and other events at the location.
“Weddings are a big part of the financial plan and now are in limbo due to lack of tents,” Hokanson said.
The waterfront property at 140 Warren Ave. has been vacant since 2013, and the dilapidated building there was largely viewed as an eyesore before it was demolished at the end of last year. Before that, it had decades of history as a successful restaurant.
In 2024, the owners of the site proposed a four-story mixed-use building on the property, but nothing came of the plan.
After announcing his three-year lease of the property in March, Hokanson sought feedback from the community about what the site should offer. Some ideas he heard: a sauna facility trailer and silent disco.
“Whether I do those ideas or not, what’s been neat is these ideas are out there, and people want to use the property for happiness,” he said.
Now plans include cleaning the site, then grading it flat with 2-inch gravel and landscaping with minimal but native plants, according to the permit. The plans also call for a fence around areas where alcohol will be served.
“I am going to rent space for trucks,” Hokanson said in his permit. “We plan to have up to four food trucks including one that serves alcohol. We will also allow vendors such as yoga teachers and farm markets.”
Operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with music to be shut down by 7 p.m. A parking plan shows 39 parking spaces.
Hokanson said he estimates a $60,000 budget for site work and said he doesn’t expect to make money. He said the goal is to make it a “place where people are happy, people are together.”
“I just think we need more of that right now,” he said, adding that he’s received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from the community, including town officials.
At a Plymouth Conservation Commission meeting last week, Kevin Flaherty, the engineer on the project, said the duration of the permit through the end of the year is “kind of a trial run” for Hokanson and the town.
“We’re going to see how it works,” Flaherty said. “If there’s any problems this way, if it becomes something more intense down the road, then we’ll come back for additional permitting.”
At the meeting, Flaherty detailed Hokanson’s plans to clean up the existing paved area and use it for parking. He also wants to add 2,035 square feet of native species, including American dune grass and beach plum, Flaherty said.
Everything on the property will be temporary, including the bathrooms, which will be on a trailer, Flaherty said.
“From a conservation standpoint, we’re going to be reducing the amount of impervious surfaces on the property,” Flaherty said. The conservation commission gave the project its unanimous approval.
Hokanson envisions festivities at the venue running from April to October and possibly until December, with plans for holiday markets. Since he has only agreed on a three-year lease with the owners, Hokanson said he’d already lost a season to recoup his investment.
“It makes the finances a little tough.”