Sauce king denied permit

Burlington VT

19 November, 2021

6:52 AM

Description

The owner of Vermont's well-known former spaghetti house Bove's restaurant lost his bid to expand his rental empire. The Essex Planning Commission on rejected a proposal by Rick Bove to build 60 more rental units at the Essex Town Center, citing health and safety violations at his existing buildings there. Commissioners denied Bove's building proposal unanimously, following the recommendation of Essex town officials who have been tussling with Bove over overflowing dumpsters at the property for the last four years. Bove's alleged mismanagement of his Vermont rental empire, including at the Essex Town Center, was the subject of a joint investigation published earlier this month by Seven Days and Vermont Public Radio. The news outlets found that maintenance needs have been neglected across the 400-plus rentals that Rick and his brother, Mark Bove, own in several communities, leaving low-income tenants allegedly living in substandard conditions. The Boves have denied mismanagement. - SevenDays