Board approves Stanley Tree Service expansion but requires parking before office occupancy

The Smithfield Zoning Board of Review approved variances for Mamamamos LLC, the owner of the Stanley Tree Service site on George Washington Highway, to build a 7,200-square-foot equipment-storage building and to add office space — but placed a condition on the office addition that parking must be completed and available at the time the office is occupied.

Attorney Timothy Kane told the board his client seeks “2 dimensional variances from the side yard setback” to construct the new warehouse and an office addition. Fleet manager Michael Zuba described operational needs, saying the expansion would move outdoor-stored equipment indoors and reduce onsite congestion. Zuba told the board the applicant already purchased additional land from the state to create more parking and estimated the parking project would cost "about a 4 to $500,000." He also described a large fleet on site, saying in testimony: "Anywhere between a 50 to a 75, hundred and 80."

Board members pressed on lot depth, the timing of parking installation, and the sequencing of construction. Members agreed it is acceptable for the storage building to proceed first, but emphasized the office addition’s occupancy — and issuance of a certificate of occupancy for that space — would be contingent on completing the parking identified in the application and plans. The board recorded its approval after a second and voice vote; the transcript does not include a numerical roll-call tally.

The board directed staff to ensure the parking requirement is enforced during building-permit review and before any office occupancy is authorized. The applicant said the first (storage) building could start as early as next summer, with the office addition following approximately a year later; the applicant noted some parking could be provided off-site in the interim if necessary.