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Votes at a glance: Peabody council approves multiple special permits, entertainment license and license transfers
Summary
At its Feb. 12 meeting the Peabody City Council approved a package of special permits and license transfers — including a digital reader board at 222 Newbury St., a Wonder Restaurant at 229 Andover St., a flooring showroom at 99 Lynn St., a distillery at 58 Pulaski St., an entertainment license for Gallo Nero, and a Class 2 dealer license transfer — and voted to draft and advertise a billboard ordinance (11.6).
Peabody — The City Council on Thursday approved a series of permits, licenses and motions intended to support neighborhood businesses and clarify local rules for billboards.
What passed (selected items)
• 222 Newbury St. (All About Signs LLC) — Special permit approved, 10–0. Petitioner James Withrow said the proposed electronic reader board would not flash, would cycle messages at the 10‑second interval required by the ordinance and includes automatic dimming; Councilor Gamache moved approval.
• 229 Andover St. (Wonder Restaurant / HDR Holdings LLC) — Special permit approved, 10–0, with conditions: install an exterior 1,500‑gallon grease trap, complete a health‑department plan review prior to construction, and adopt hours of 10 a.m.–midnight daily. Attorney Mark Vaughn described the concept as a shared‑kitchen fast‑casual tenant fit-out.
• 99 Lynn St. (Andre Ruest / ARC Flooring and Tile) — Special permit approved, 10–0. Councilor Welton and the applicant agreed on conditions: no loading/unloading on Lynn Street; daily trash removal practices; interior lighting extinguished by 7 p.m.; and back‑office access until 8 p.m.
• 58 Pulaski St. (Patrick Lucky) — Special permit approved, 10–0, with conditions addressing plumbing (DPS meeting), pest and waste plans, odor mitigation, cleanable surfaces, a commercial dishwasher requirement, permitted pop‑up vendors, and hours set at 6 a.m.–11 p.m. Lucky said the business secured a federal TTB permit and expected the ABCC license soon.
• Gallo Nero Ristorante (89 Main St.) — Entertainment license approved, 10–0, for non‑amplified live music (piano/violin/duo) and similar acoustic entertainment; owner Nick Gase emphasized no amplifiers will be used.
• Carzone Auto Group Inc. (transfer at 288 Newbury St.) — Class 2 dealer license transfer approved, 10–0. The transfer preserves a split lot arrangement previously recorded (12 vehicles on the Peabody side, 12 on the Danvers side).
Other actions
• Ordinance 11.6 (billboards) — Councilor Gamache read proposed language reinstating fees and restrictions that had been inadvertently omitted; the council voted to draft and advertise the ordinance as read (motion carried 10–0).
• Committees and appointments — The Municipal Safety committee reported formation of a Complete Streets advisory group and moved to seek appointments from the school committee and fire department; the Legal Affairs subcommittee moved to draft and advertise changes to allow beer‑and‑wine holders to apply for full liquor licenses; both motions advanced.
How the votes were recorded
Where a roll‑call occurred the meeting recorded a unanimous 10–0 vote for the approvals above. Motions were typically moved by the councilor who presented or asked questions (for example, Councilor Gamache moved the 222 Newbury approval; Councilor Turco moved the Wonder Restaurant approval).
Next steps
Most approvals carry technical conditions that require city department signoffs. Applicants must complete required public‑services, health‑department and licensing steps before building permits are issued or businesses open.
