Planning Board Approves Restaurant, Lahey Lab Permits

Planning Board · Meeting of May 21, 2026

Burlington Planning Board approved permits for a new Indian restaurant and a temporary hospital lab. The board voted 7-0 to grant a special permit for Saravanaa Bhavan, a 99-seat vegetarian restaurant from operator Ram Mohandas at 90 Middlesex Turnpike, expected to open in early September. It also approved, 7-0 across three separate motions, Lahey Clinic Foundation's request for a temporary 3,032-square-foot cardiac catheterization lab at 41 Burlington Mall Road, requiring at least six months' notice before any lease extension.

Director of Planning and Development John Navarro said Lahey does "not want to turn our facility into a trailer park." The board also reviewed draft design guidelines for the Mixed-Use and Town Center districts and continued two other hearings to June.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• [01:10:07] — John Navarro, Director of Planning and Development, Beth Israel Lahey Health
• [00:06:09] — Elizabeth Bonventre, Planning Director
• [00:19:31] — Barbara L'Heureux, Vice Chair
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Burlington's community access TV: Planning Board meeting, May 21, 2026
• The complete report: 1,003 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of May 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.