Published in the November 18, 2016 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — Goodbye Laurie. Hello Maya.

Laurie’s 909 Raw Bar & Steakhouse on Tuttle Street will be closing later this year but a new Indian restaurant named “Maya” will be taking its place.

The Board of Selectmen this week approved the common victualler’s, liquor and entertainment licenses requested by the owners of the new eatery. Attorney Brian McGrail appeared before the board with his clients Kannan Kesavalu, president of Indian Flames, Inc. (dba Maya) and Arumugam Balamurugan, the proposed manager of the liquor license.

McGrail reminded the board that Laurie’s 909 opened in 2012. He said that a significant portion of Laurie’s business has been catering and that she was closing the restaurant to focus exclusively on the catering aspect of the business.

He said that Indian Flames, Inc. had an agreement to purchase Laurie’s restaurant assets and had also entered into a lease with the building owner. McGrail said that the his clients had operated two other successful Indian restaurants (including one in Reading) and had had no issues with respect to the liquor license. The bar manager is TIPS certified, McGrail said.

He noted that while there would be some changes to the décor, the basic layout of the new restaurant would remain the same. The requested seating would also remain the same at 72 seats.

Maya’s proposed hours would be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week, McGrail said.

The selectmen granted the common victualler’s license, the liquor license and an entertainment license (for three televisions). Due to its proximity to St. Joseph Church, the board also made the required finding that the proposed use would not be detrimental to spiritual activities in the area.

McGrail said that the new owners anticipated opening Maya in January.

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In other business this week, the Board of Selectmen:

• Approved a one-year renewal of the lease of the Yeuell School to the SEEM Collaborative for $102,000.

• Approved a request from Firefighter Steven Bivens for a Muscular Dystrophy Association Boot Drive on Nov. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Approved an extension of the area on the northern end of Main Street that will be closed to vehicular traffic for the Holiday Stroll to include up to Yale Avenue and Crescent Street.

• Approved the designation of Selectman Paul DiNocco to be the sole signer of treasury warrants with the understanding that the designee must make available at the next meeting of the full board a record of the warrants approved.

• Appointed Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran as the town’s official Records Access Officer.

• Appointed the following members to the Veterans Advisory Board:

William Walsh, 20 Greenwood St.; Thomas Collins, 66 Cedar St., and Melinda Cook, 22 Upland Rd.

• Appointed Stacey Constas of 25 Wave Ave. to the Charter Review Commission.