Southborough ZBA conditionally approves auto-sales use at 355 Turnpike, citing planning and conservation conditions
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Summary
The ZBA approved a special permit to allow auto-sales at 355 Turnpike (Pratt's Automotive) but conditioned the approval on bringing the property into conformity with planning-board, conservation-commission and select-board requirements, including drainage, septic and parking matters raised by neighbor comments and referral memos.
The Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 19 approved a special permit allowing auto-sales at 355 Turnpike Road (Pratt's Automotive), subject to conditions that require the property to be brought into conformity with prior planning-board and conservation-commission recommendations and the select board's requirements.
Tarsus Pedroso, representing Pratt's Automotive, said the property has historically housed automotive uses and that the current application seeks to allow permitted uses consistent with the site's prior approvals. Board members and staff emphasized the need to address outstanding planning and conservation concerns before full operation: the planning-board memo dated Oct. 7, 2025, and the conservation memo dated Sept. 15, 2025, were specifically cited as conditions that must be satisfied.
A member of the public, Anthony Madri, urged the board to ensure drainage and septic issues are resolved, saying, "the drainage in the properties is not the greatest, and, septic has hasn't been closed," and suggested outstanding problems had not yet been addressed by the property owner. The board discussed enforcement limitations but concluded conditioning approval on conformity to other boards' requirements was appropriate.
The board approved the special permit with the condition that the property be brought into conformity with planning, conservation and select-board stipulations; the vote was unanimous among members present. The board said it will draft a written decision that enumerates the planning and conservation conditions and clarifies that separate select-board licensing remains required.