Council rezones 128 Parker Street to B‑1 after contentious hearing; opponents cite spot‑zoning and parking concerns

The Lawrence City Council approved an ordinance amendment to rezone 128 Parker Street (assessors map 101, lot 55) from Residential‑2 (R‑2) to Local Business (B‑1), clearing a policy barrier that proponents said was preventing continued commercial use of a building that had operated as a pharmacy for decades.

Attorney Dana Cohen, representing owners George and Leah Desmond, told the council the building had been used as a pharmacy for more than 61 years and said the proposed rezoning would allow the property to remain in commercial use: “We're not looking to change a residential building to a business building. This has always been a business building,” Cohen said.

Prospective buyer Don Gomez, who said he had a vendor case study and mentorship from an experienced laundromat operator, said he planned to invest in a modern laundromat and employ local residents. Gomez said the business model targets weekend demand and that a vendor had evaluated population and capacity in the area.

Opposition testimony was led by attorney Daniel A. Hayes Jr., who argued the single‑parcel change risked impermissible spot zoning and warned that a laundromat is a high‑parking‑intensity use that could worsen existing congestion near a school and strain neighboring driveways. Hayes asked the council to require a parking plan and a water‑capacity check before approving the zoning change.

Neighbor Bill Collins raised process concerns about whether abutters had been properly notified; Collins asked if certified mail receipts and an abutter list were included in the council packet. Hayes and others also requested information from the water department about hydraulic capacity and how utility meters would be separated if the business began operating.

Councilors questioned the proponents about parking (the property owner controls four nearby parking spaces), peak laundromat demand, and water use. Don Gomez said the vendor study predicted most customer volume on Fridays through Sundays and that the laundromat would install roughly 22 washers; he said his mentors and vendors found the site suitable. Attorney Cohen said utilities could be separated and that further permitting would follow if rezoning were approved.

Council discussion split on whether to table the item to seek water‑department input. A motion to table failed, and the council proceeded to a roll call vote. The clerk announced that the motion to rezone carried.

The council's approval changes the zoning designation; it does not waive subsequent permitting, building, plumbing, or water/sewer approvals that the buyer would still need to obtain. Opponents said those downstream reviews are not substitutes for the zoning decision and reiterated requests for site‑specific parking and water assessments.

Next steps for the proposal include the buyer's submission of building plans, submission to water & sewer for capacity and meter separation approvals, and any necessary building‑department permits. The council vote formalized the zoning map change, which councilors and public commenters said should be followed by careful enforcement of permit conditions and infrastructure reviews.