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Politics & Government

Zoning Board OKs Site for Internet-based Car Dealer

Approves a couple of bigger garages, a mud room and a landing.

An Internet-based auto resale dealer, residents seeking larger garages and a landing were approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals at its Monday, July 11 meeting held in the Homer Building.

The board held public hearings, deliberated and unanimously approved:

• Two variances for Robert and Cheryl Phillips so the family can build an attached one-car garage at 1 Spinney Terrace. 

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Phillips explained his grandfather moved to the house in 1921 and had the garage built to fit his Model T Ford. The current garage may be fine for a car of that size and vintage, he said, but not for a modern vehicle. Moreover, Phillips said, the existing garage has been in dilapidated condition for years with large cracks in the foundation and disintegrating doors. The new garage will match the house color and trim and has been approved by abutting neighbors.

The architect for the project is Andres Rojas, a member of the Belmont Planning Board and the owner of Rojas Design, Inc. of Somerville.

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• A special permit to Patrick Roussel to operate an automotive resale business in a Local Business II zoning district at 1000 Pleasant St., Unit 9.

Roussel’s attorney, Joe Noone of Belmont, said PR Automotive Imports, Inc. will sell classic European motor vehicles, primarily via the Internet, so the property on Pleasant Street will be used for storage of approximately 10 classic vehicles. Customers may occasionally visit the site to inspect the vehicles but trip generation will be minimal with Roussel the only person visiting on a daily basis. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. No automotive repairs will be conducted on the site; the only work that will be done is vehicle cleaning and polishing.

The permit was granted as valid to this corporation only (of which Roussel is the sole shareholder). The ZBA also waived the two-year review period for the permit.

• A special permit to Ray Antetomaso of 6 Newcastle Rd. to maintain the nonconforming front setback in order to construct a one-car garage and mud room. The applicant’s builder explained the homeowners are now limited to a one-car garage with no access to it from their house.

• A variance to Albert Boulanger of 35 Douglas Rd. from the front setback in order to construct a covered landing. Boulanger explained his family is making improvement to the house and needs to use four feet over a blue stone patio to construct the landing. He presented the ZBA with a petition that 14 of his neighbors signed, approving the proposed construction.

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