Council continues hearing on Fort Maywood Terrace nuisance; owner given deadline to remove unregistered vehicle or face fines

The Woburn City Council on Feb. 4 heard renewed complaints from neighbors and housing‑code officials about conditions at Fort Maywood Terrace and agreed to continue the public hearing to Feb. 18 for further action.

Councilor Marceau Bruin said the petition — first raised in November — stems from long‑running complaints including structural issues, persistent trash, an unregistered vehicle on site and repeated police and fire calls. Building Commissioner Thomas (Tom) Quinn’s memo to the council listed three outstanding items: missing rear deck stairs (later installed), a grading issue and unsecured trash. Quinn confirmed a site visit that morning found trash barrels secure but an apparent unregistered Cadillac SUV still on the property and advised that zoning enforcement would issue fines of $300 per day until violations are resolved if the vehicle remains.

Neighbors told the council the problems persist despite earlier promises. Ben Kortic, an abutter at 36 Beach Street, said trash recurs, cited a recent police call involving an apparently impaired resident and urged the council to impose fines and further enforcement. Another neighbor at 12 Maywood Terrace said the property’s visible deterioration is a constant community burden and asked the council to hold the owner accountable.

Owner Deborah McLaughlin told the council she is in the process of packing and moving and that some work has been done; she said the vehicle’s owner was “getting rid of the vehicle.” The city’s building inspector said if registration proof is not produced, inspection staff will begin enforcement fines at $300 per day.

Action and next steps: The council accepted communications into the permanent record, opened the public hearing and voted to continue the matter to the Feb. 18 council meeting. Councilors warned that if outstanding violations are not resolved by the next meeting they will consider declaring the property a public nuisance, which could trigger further enforcement steps.

Context: Commissioner Quinn’s memo (01/29/2025) and a follow‑up inspection report documented both corrections (rear stairs installed) and continuing issues (unregistered vehicle, recurring trash). The city can levy daily fines for zoning and registration violations and pursue further enforcement if conditions persist.