Pop-up meat shop gets OK at Hampshire Mall

HADLEY — A pop-up butcher shop that will sell prepackaged steaks, chicken and seafood will be setting up at the Hampshire Mall, likely later this month.

The Planning Board Tuesday approved plans for Backyard Butchers to take over a section of the parking lot, about seven or eight spaces, at the western end of the mall and near the side entrance to JC Penney.

Lynn Gray, the mall’s general manager, said the company will be on site for 10 days, with a tent and tables and products coming out from a refrigerated truck.

Backyard Butchers previously got approvals for selling the products from the Select Board and the Board of Health. It has similar set-ups at malls and shopping centers throughout the country. Gray also informed the Planning Board that the mall intends to embark on a project, to be complete in 2023, that will see the entire exterior painted, except for portions that are controlled by the tenants, including Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and PetSmart.

“The painting project will refresh the exterior with more muted, earthtone colors,” Gray said. Brown will be an accent color and macadamia will be another color used, with the rear of the mall, including the Cinemark theaters and what faces the Norwottuck Rail Trail, to be completed this fall.

“Hampshire Mall does need some freshening up on the exterior” said Planning Board Chairman James Maksimoski, prior to the board agreeing to waive any site plan review.

The Planning Board approved an Oct. 2 event called “Barn Fest” in which 10 vintage vendors, from the region and Connecticut, will set up next to the Barn Out Back store at 30 Lawrence Plain Road.

The event is organized by Greg Dursza, who has run the vintage and gift store for the past three years and also uses his culinary skills to create Greg’s Goodies food. Dursza told planners he would like to make the event a yearly event

Dursza was advised that vendors and vehicles need to stay within 300 feet of the road, which is how far the commercial zone extends on the property.