Abington Select Board Reorganizes, Approves Outdoor Seating Rules for 2026 Season

ABINGTON -- April 27, 2026, Abington's newly seated Select Board reorganized Monday, cleared five unanimous votes, and deferred a restaurant outdoor seating application in its first meeting of the new term. Town Clerk Leon Adams swore in three incoming members, William Cormier, Jr., Daniel Eddy, and returning member Ken Coyle, before the board elected Paul Bunker as chair and confirmed Nicole as vice chair. The board voted unanimously to update town procedures for outdoor dining at food establishments, authorizing a one-time temporary license for the 2026 season, Memorial Day through Labor Day, requiring site sketches, barrier plans, and sign-offs from the Building Commissioner, Board of Health, police, and fire, pending review by town counsel. A request from Giordano's restaurant, which prompted the policy discussion, was deferred after Coyle raised questions about abutter notification and an adjacent late-night food truck operation already advertising outdoor seating and music. The board also unanimously approved Ann Welch's reappointment to the Old Colony Elder Services Board of Directors for FY2027, a pledge of liquor license as collateral for the Abington Depot's building mortgage, and the transfer of a Class 2 auto dealer license and commercial garage license at 933 Brockton Avenue to Platinum Automotive Sales Corp. and Whitman Transmission and Repair respectively, effective July 1, 2026.