Housing Would Replace Faregrounds Under Proposed Subdivision Plan

An eight-lot housing subdivision would replace Faregrounds Restaurant and Pudley's Pub under a preliminary plan submitted to the Planning Board by a company that has reached an agreement to purchase the property from owners Bill and Kim Puder.

The plan would combine the Faregrounds Restaurant property at 27 Fairgrounds Road, owned by the Puders, with an undeveloped lot at 25 Fairgrounds Road owned by Suzanne Davis, to create an eight-lot subdivision on a new cul-de-sac running through the development. The restaurant and bar that has been a local favorite for decades and the site of countless community events would be removed. 

The plan was submitted to the town on behalf of the property owners by Fairgrounds LLC, an entity which has an agreement in place to purchase the properties from the Puders and Davis. The company is registered to Brad Cartwright, of The Granite Street Realty Corp., who owns and operates several funeral homes in Braintree, Mass. Cartwright also owns a home on the island on Upper Tawpawshaw Road.

"This is just the first step in the process," Cartwright told the Current over the weekend. "As a homeowner on the island, I am hoping that if this project gets approved, I will be able to spend a considerable amount of time on this special island."

Cartwright offered no timeline for the project, and declined to answer other questions from the Current. The Puders and Davis declined to comment.

The move to subdivide the property comes nearly three years after the Puders attempted to find a buyer for the property.

The application, which was submitted on February 24th, shows seven buildable lots, each approximately 10,000 square feet, and an eighth lot just over 11,500 square feet, across 2.05 acres of land. The ninth lot would be a 20-foot-wide roadway with a cul-de-sac at the end to provide access to each lot.

In a staff report to the Planning Board, the town’s Planning & Land Use Services staff stated that the plans were submitted “to seek feedback from the Board. Planning staff recommends approval of the preliminary plan as proposed.”

The preliminary plans will be reviewed by the elected members of the Planning Board during their meeting that begins Monday at 4 p.m.

Faregrounds Restaurant was put up for sale by the Puders in 2022, but no deal ultimately materialized over the past two-plus years. One of the potential buyers, the town of Nantucket, had explored a potential purchase of the Faregrounds property, with the Select Board meeting in executive session to discuss a deal. But nothing came together.

The Puders took over the restaurant property in 1997 when it was known as The Pines. After a naming contest, it was dubbed The Faregrounds Restaurant & Pudley’s Pub after the Puders’ pot-bellied pig. The property has a long and colorful history as a local restaurant going back to 1948 when Parker Gray opened The Knotty Pines Bar-B-Q.

“We are pleased to announce that we have decided to sell our beloved restaurant, the Faregrounds Restaurant & Pudley’s Pub, and the real estate located at 27 Fairgrounds Road,” the Puders stated in the packet of information being distributed to prospective buyers in 2022. “This moment comes as bittersweet, as owning and operating the restaurant since 1997 has been one of the great joys of our lives and we have cherished serving the island’s community and hosting charitable events for over 25 years. However, at the present time, we are excited to see what the future provides for us as we embark on the next chapter of our lives.”

Faregrounds has long been a beloved favorite of island residents - one of the few year-round staples of the dining scene - as well as visiting dignitaries such as former President Joe Biden, who has for decades ordered his Thanksgiving dinner from the Puders' restaurant during his family's annual visit.