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Peabody council approves auto-repair special permit with parking, environmental conditions after neighbor objections
Summary
The City Council voted 9-0 to grant a special permit for an automotive repair shop at 7A Webster Street subject to DEP registration, a seven-space parking plan with no subleasing, restricted hours, and a condition that the permit be reviewed if the parties' settlement changes.
The Peabody City Council on June 12 approved a special permit allowing an automotive repair shop at 7A Webster Street, voting 9-0 to attach conditions aimed at addressing long-standing parking and compliance disputes on the private way.
Councilor Peach moved to approve the application from Edward Troncoso for an automotive repair shop in the IL zoning district, with conditions including DEP hazardous-waste-generator registration, compliance with air-pollution rules if paint-spraying is performed, adherence to the parking plan in the lease (seven assigned spots), prohibition on subleasing of those spaces, hours of operation Monday–Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and a requirement that any changes to a private settlement between neighbors trigger a council review.
The permit drew an extended public hearing with sharp disagreement among neighbors. Attorney Brian Chase, representing abutter Paul Ferragamo, asked the council to deny the permit or impose strict conditions, describing a history of abandoned and unregistered vehicles, repeated parking encroachments, and unresolved violations that had led to litigation and a settlement. Chase said the settlement had affirmed Ferragamo’s ownership of the private way and included restrictions that, in his view, were not being consistently enforced.
Landlord William Coletti said his tenants had improved the situation, pointed to a recent settlement that he said secured additional parking for the area, and defended the applicant as “a hard worker” who operates by appointment. Applicant Edward Troncoso said he organizes appointments and is seeking to obtain necessary permits before opening.
Councilors who spoke said the approval and the attached conditions are intended to give the building department and other city officials a clear basis to enforce the parking plan and to rely on the settlement’s parking diagram when complaints arise. Councilor Peach said the parking plan in the settlement shows seven spaces and that including that plan with the special permit would allow the city to act if violations occur. Councilor Welton asked that the permit explicitly bar subleasing of parking spaces; that prohibition was incorporated into the approved conditions.
The council recorded a unanimous roll-call vote in favor. The motion to approve was made by Councilor Peach and carried 9 to 0.
