[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5986069,"mediaKeyId","5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511","parentId",5767327,"title","Resident urges enforcement, cites state law and court order in long-running zoning dispute","audioSeconds",3507,"startMs",2449000,"endMs",5956000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511&start=2449&end=5956","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511/thumbnail_2449000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5986069/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Resident-urges-enforcement-cites-state-law-and-court-order-in-long-running-zoning-dispute","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5986069-8adfb6928260fc60d0da760ee614b421/orig.mp4?Expires=1775372486&Signature=f2u2yi0HiDdOPSB74XSIdZkDDVF3K5ag7dg4GtS21AY1~UlunfRxO7J2kTUSxCpwiIBM6fJ1Mp9uw0Txmq2M3782ya6V4h3WsXmrrVYrBLMUveoDDz0N-YlVyPPLXnzfR-NyNLI6X9bETMAWrIl~mEKHPigKh8LM3bfP9v5i7m7rQoNbupkTbU00p-DyreJmgbLBAUef6spobRILrgzwVAwKyZDeY5268zXQsEY0HrVJYIBSZvY4G6I3hTqv6lvysnA-PvPUiXgoeUFSKChLI~4EgBJbM5ZS7RVBy66GBIMAC9s19YEQLH7Rrl-ewBtslRowLHPl2I1XhSMXt7kG~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lawrence City, MA","date","2025-09-12T19:38:09Z","article","Jeffrey Petrillo told the Lawrence Ordinance Committee on Sept. 9 that A & M Auto Body and its owner have repeatedly violated city zoning rules on an adjacent lot and that the city has not enforced a Superior Court order restricting nonconforming commercial use at that address.

Petrillo said state law limits civil fines and the timing of re-petitioning: \"fines are $300 per day per violation,\" he told the committee while citing the Massachusetts statute that sets the daily maximum for zoning fines. He also cited what he described as a controlling state-law restriction — citing Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 48, §5 and §6 and the 1961 case Kitty v. City of Springfield — that, he said, prevents a defeated zoning petition from returning to the council for two years after unfavorable action. Petrillo asked the council to recognize that the earliest permissible return date would be Nov. 7, 2026, not one year after the recent defeat.

Petrillo also reviewed a string of local ordinance citations and a Superior Court order (Judge Lou, 03/29/2021) that he said enjoins certain activity on Lot 18, including outside storage and excavation conducted without required permits. He told the committee he had repeatedly sought enforcement from the city’s Inspectional Services Division (ISD) and that, in his view, ISD had failed to issue required citations or to enforce the judge’s order.

Committee members asked clarifying questions and pressed Petrillo on what concrete council action he seeks. The committee chair said the body could accept his materials as an awareness briefing and advised that if Petrillo wanted the council to take a particular legal or ordinance action, he should put a specific motion or ordinance change on a future agenda.

Formal action: the committee voted to withdraw document 27925 from the committee agenda with the chair’s statement that the committee had satisfied Petrillo’s request for an ordinance-committee hearing and to place the matter on the full City Council agenda for Sept. 18. The transcript records the motion to withdraw, a second, and an \"aye\" voice vote; committee members told Petrillo he may return to the council with a specific proposed ordinance or motion if he wants substantive council action.

Why it matters: Petrillo described alleged ongoing noncompliance with multiple local zoning rules (he cited local ordinances he identified as 29-9, 29-11, 29-13, 29-14/15, 29-23 and related sections), the presence of an outdoor storage container he said was installed May 25, 2018, and repeated failures he attributes to city enforcement staff. He urged the committee to ensure the city enforces the Superior Court order and Massachusetts zoning law.

Council members acknowledged the breadth of Petrillo’s packet and said the committee had received the documents and heard his concerns; they told him that enforcement is the responsibility of ISD and that any specific ordinance change must be filed as an agenda item for council consideration. The committee did not adopt any enforcement actions at the meeting; it forwarded Petrillo’s materials to the full council as the meeting packet indicated.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lawrence City Council | Ordinance | September 9 , 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Jeffrey Petrillo told the Ordinance Committee that A & M Auto Body’s use of adjacent Lot 18 violates multiple local zoning rules and a Superior Court order; the committee heard his legal citations and voted to withdraw his submitted packet as \"satisfied\" for now and forward the materials to the full City Council on Sept. 18.","taxTitle","Lawrence City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5815,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5986074,"Neighbors, clean-up group push no-parking after dark on Irving Avenue; committee asks police to review",472,1757000,2229000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511&start=1757&end=2229","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511/thumbnail_1757000.jpg","/articles/5986074/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Neighbors-clean-up-group-push-no-parking-after-dark-on-Irving-Avenue-committee-asks-police-to-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5986074-1f46d8be48d2cae991c5658dce154e17/orig.mp4?Expires=1775372486&Signature=Lj0GlLE5a3o6E9PK6ilm0TQPfpFepp07dTmgQmk4HAm8GMLEWmQuU9SFxPqbUduTdT9ljcRQg4czU6G7Vdje6UxF~-dl~ez7G2SoRbhh-ktjx~XXUHqEq0oTcF81kZqpe0sgiG4tJnpe6nsWyltAj9bZiMiKydqgtLPLRLzPOGnnjHrKqzIsgEIJdtOSnJQEkLlcoHY7Lc2ds6HEziFgpEULIUfmjNuFLduNEVYPyoej4RCrZsicwPguMo~~n6ZW4B6dNrqiJPaLsIgu59G4fiSKFU4DqZRcWj3m-9jZOSCWA8We8rcftWCpNRSAFfVuhTPMG8w5tb3k3rbfjK2FZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and a neighborhood environmental group told the Lawrence Ordinance Committee on Sept. 9 that a no-parking restriction after dark on parts of Irving Avenue should be tried to discourage illegal dumping, drug activity and other nighttime problems along the riverbank.

Patrick Proust (listed on the meeting record earlier as \"Patrick Pruse\"), speaking for Clean River Project, described ongoing cleanups along the Spicket River and said volunteers and neighbors are forming a neighborhood watch. \"This area has seen a buildup of trash, drug activity, and illegal dumping,\" he told the committee, and asked the committee to consider a no-parking ban during overnight hours to reduce late-night activity.

Local business owner Yuri Lopez, who said he has run a business at 279 Irving Ave. for about 18 years, told the committee he sees people parking overnight to drink, smoke and leave trash in the morning. He said most dumping appears to happen at night and urged the council to consider the restriction for the sections that lack adjacent housing.

Committee members visited or discussed site observations and said the neighborhood’s cleanup volunteer effort — and their willingness to organize a neighborhood watch — encouraged them to move quickly on a review. Council members amended the item’s advertised hours (the agenda listed 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and voted to change it to 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.; they then voted to send the amended proposal to the Lawrence Police Department for a traffic and enforcement review and asked the department to expedite its response.

Committee members who spoke raised questions about whether a ban would simply displace dumping to another nearby location. One member said the city must pair enforcement and community engagement to obtain long-term change instead of relying on periodic cleanups.

The formal actions recorded in the meeting transcript were: an amendment to change the restriction to 6 p.m.–7 a.m. (motion passed) and a referral to the police department for review with a request for an expedited report (motion passed). The transcript shows voice votes with \"ayes\" but no recorded roll-call tallies in the public audio text.

Next steps: the committee forwarded the amended proposal to the police department for a traffic-safety and enforcement assessment and requested that officers prioritize a review because volunteers are actively working in the area. The committee’s action does not itself create a parking ban; the police report will advise whether the proposal is workable from a traffic, enforcement and safety perspective.

","Residents and Clean River Project asked the Ordinance Committee to impose no-parking from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on sections of Irving Avenue to deter dumping, drug activity and nighttime illegal behavior; the committee amended the proposal to 6 p.m.–7 a.m. and sent it to the police department for review with a request to prioritize the matter.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5986079,"Ordinance committee combines gold-dealer and pawnbroker licenses, asks police review",507,534000,1041000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511&start=534&end=1041","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767327-ff9cd7c789f636b229922f0fc6f34511/thumbnail_534000.jpg","/articles/5986079/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Ordinance-committee-combines-gold-dealer-and-pawnbroker-licenses-asks-police-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5986079-d34574bd9204b9d1dbeedff25dc885a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775372486&Signature=jhCbNH5Povj2MEoffyawQYowzXnLMSPwYgu08Vn-EGkSB0z6zybAIm8pQpci1Q2DBxAOEX1dzwf1qFdPA74UD4kVUAEAPDg6hGjSg1kwdY5Qf0RTaoY5xCHaide7PGmaeqJHLQJpbT2F7kfzLIixRJmnZKu4NIgU8p0aK8azH2lMnRlm46PYsOTDEdOaxTc-kT2WTrnNQEobT7bDsRTEun12QvAwbmW3oXJynIZekF2-9Rn0-9p6VMOAeQnvlfE1IrdtP428B19nXqc5nwac7MMDqHkARB4NLAw8Ka38DKhZC5JiuA3UBfN5aUEXP8qqW5iskZVT9N72ypSRzBx0Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lawrence Ordinance Committee on Sept. 9 merged two agenda items tied to the same business into a single application for an \"old gold and secondhand dealer license\" and asked city staff and the police department to complete required public-safety checks before the item goes to the full City Council.

The committee’s chair said the two documents (37625 and 37725) applied to the same applicant and business and should be combined. \"Motion has been made. Second. All in favor, say aye,\" the chair said as members approved combining the files and withdrawing the separate pawnbroker item. The committee then voted to send the consolidated license to the full council for final consideration at the Sept. 18 meeting.

Why it matters: the checklist for the license requires contact with the police department for fingerprints and a public-safety review, and committee members said those steps were not fully documented in the application. The committee approved consolidation and a recommendation to the full council so the police can confirm fingerprinting and criminal-record (CORI) checks, and staff can correct the application paperwork before a council vote.

Most of the conversation focused on whether the police had completed the fingerprinting and CORI steps the application checklist requires. The applicant, who identified himself as Wilkins Dundas, described the business activities as buying and repairing scrap gold and, if necessary, participating in pawnbroker-style transactions. Dundas said he had submitted required documents and told the committee, \"So everything they asked me for, I complete everything.\" The chair and other members pointed out the fingerprinting box on the checklist was not checked and asked police staff to confirm whether the department had performed fingerprinting and a public-safety review.

A police representative told the committee the department previously tracked pawnbrokers and required periodic reports, but that desk responsibilities had shifted and the speaker could not confirm whether an officer still handled the reviews. Committee members agreed to move forward administratively but to keep the item on the Sept. 18 full-council agenda so police confirmation and CORI/fingerprint documentation could be completed first.

The committee also asked clerks to rename the item in the agenda packet to \"old gold and secondhand dealer license,\" withdraw the separate pawnbroker item (37725), and to prepare the cleaned-up packet for the council vote. Committee members repeatedly emphasized they were not taking final action that night and that the police department’s public-safety review and fingerprint/CORI clearance should be in the record before the council votes.

The committee’s motions passed on voice votes with no recorded roll-call tallies shown in the meeting transcript. The consolidated item now appears on the Sept. 18 full City Council agenda.

For readers: applicants for secondhand-dealer and pawnbroker activity should expect the city to request fingerprinting and CORI checks as part of the licensing checklist; the committee specifically asked staff to correct the checklist and obtain the police review before a final vote.

","The Lawrence Ordinance Committee merged two license applications for the same business into one item, renamed it \"old gold and secondhand dealer license,\" and instructed staff to seek a police public-safety review and fingerprint/CORI checks before final action on Sept. 18.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges enforcement, cites state law and court order in long-running zoning dispute

Neighbors, clean-up group push no-parking after dark on Irving Avenue; committee asks police to review

Ordinance committee combines gold-dealer and pawnbroker licenses, asks police review