By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
The future of vehicle dealerships in town remains uncertain after Town Manager Michael Borg withdrew a proposed zoning amendment Monday night, pausing an ongoing debate over how the town should regulate these businesses.
At the Feb. 9 Town Council meeting, Borg announced he was pulling the measure following weeks of public discussion and a split 3-2 Planning Board vote not to recommend the bylaw, which would have prohibited new vehicle dealerships in certain areas of the town.
“After hearing all the debate — and the Planning Board did make a vote on the current submission — we came back and modified this request,” Borg said. “At this time, I would like to withdraw the measure so that we may resubmit after we make some adjustments to the language that we have.”
Subcommittee discussion
Initially framed as a potential prohibition on new dealerships in certain areas, Borg told the Bylaw Subcommittee on Feb. 4 that a revised version would make the Planning Board the authority to grant special permits for such businesses.
Under that approach, new dealerships would not be outright banned, but would require a special permit, giving the board discretion to approve or deny applications based on specific criteria.
Subcommittee Chair Dan Donovan said he was uncomfortable with prohibitions, particularly if they could affect small independent mechanics with Class 2 licenses.
“I like the idea of this being a special permit,” Donovan said. “I think it sends the right message for the town that we’re open for business.”
Member John Simmons also opposed an outright restriction.
“I don’t necessarily want to see more used car dealerships either,” Simmons said. “But I don’t think it’s ever a good idea for the government to pick the industries that are going to succeed or fail inside town.”
Others questioned whether additional dealerships represent the best use of limited commercial land, with subcommittee member Laura Wagner urging fellow subcommittee members that “we need to make up our minds” about the town’s plan for the future.
She emphasized the discussion centers on new businesses and would not harm existing mechanics who may sell a small number of vehicles on-site.
“This is for a new business that wants to come in and sell used cars,” she said. “Is that the best and highest use of our remaining land? I say no.”
Subcommittee member Ryan Benharris, who had previously criticized the proposal, said public feedback he’s seen in recent weeks appeared largely supportive of tighter restrictions.
“The town manager’s point is this is not the best use of the property,” Benharris said. “The town doesn’t benefit from it. There’s not a lot of employees in these particular buildings, and it doesn’t seem like the residents of the town love the way it looks now.”
To Borg, the issue is now one of trust in local boards.
“It comes down to where my fundamental trust is,” he said. “Do we trust the Planning Board to make the right decisions for the town? I am saying yes.”
ANR endorsement adds another layer
The zoning debate is unfolding alongside recent Planning Board action involving property at the southwest corner of South Washington Street and Hoppin Hill Avenue.
On Feb. 5, the board voted unanimously to endorse an Approval Not Required [ANR] plan for 551 South Washington St. and 20 Hoppin Hill Ave. The parcels were recently purchased by Kevin Meehan, owner of Imperial Cars, who acquired Patriot Subaru — now renamed Imperial Subaru — and the neighboring former First United Methodist Church, home to a popular sledding hill.
An ANR endorsement, under Massachusetts subdivision law, means a plan does not require full subdivision review because the lot already has sufficient frontage on a public way. In this case, the approval allows the two existing parcels to be combined into one continuous lot by eliminating the internal lot line.
Board members said the combined parcel maintains the required frontage and access, meeting ANR standards.
During the meeting, attorney Jonathan Silverstein, representing the applicants, acknowledged the pending zoning amendment
“To be candid, as the board knows and voted at its last meeting to negatively recommend a pending zoning amendment that’s been proposed to adversely affect this property, submitting and obtaining endorsement of an ANR plan provides a freeze on use provisions under the zoning bylaw,” Silverstein said.
Under state law, certain zoning protections can attach once a plan is endorsed, potentially preserving development rights in effect at the time of submission.
The dealership debate intensified earlier this winter after Meehan briefly moved vehicles onto the former church hill and erected a tower topped with a spinning car. The town ordered the structure removed, fueling speculation that the site could eventually be used for a dealership.
Borg previously said that because the zoning amendment had been formally introduced, no new dealership applications could be filed while it was under consideration, noting that Imperial had not submitted formal plans for the property.
With the original measure now withdrawn, the matter will return to the Bylaw Subcommittee for further discussion at its Feb. 18 meeting.Â