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Neighbors and zoning board push back on Elizabeth Avenue plan to add convenience store at existing gas station
Summary
Commission members recounted strong pushback from the zoning board and neighbors over a proposal to convert a maintenance garage at 339 Elizabeth Ave into a convenience store while keeping fuel operations, citing concerns about lots condition, insufficient parking and neighborhood compatibility.
The commission reviewed a prospective conversion at 339 Elizabeth Ave where an existing gas station and maintenance garage would be modified to add a convenience store while retaining fuel sales.
Commissioners said the applicant previously faced a difficult hearing before the zoning board and that board members and neighborhood residents raised objections, including the site’s poor condition, abandoned vehicles on the property and insufficient parking. One commissioner noted that neighbors argued the site as‑is was a nuisance and questioned whether a retail conversion would result in cleanup and improved maintenance.
Commissioners also noted the project sought C1C variance relief and that the applicant will likely return for a follow‑up hearing, possibly in February. The commission recommended that applicants supply clearer plans, demonstrate parking provisions, and provide a landscaping and cleanup schedule to address neighborhood concerns.
The commission did not take a vote on the project; members asked staff to monitor the zoning‑board docket and to include the commission’s landscaping and lighting recommendations in any comments to the planner.
