Sudbury ZBA continues decision on 684 Boston Post Road auto-repair permit, cites safety and storage concerns

The Sudbury Zoning Board of Appeals on Dec. 8 unanimously continued the application for a special permit to operate motor vehicle repair and sales at 684 Boston Post Road (Penobscot Realty Trust) to the board’s April 6, 2026 meeting after identifying significant site-management and public-safety concerns.

Board members and staff reported a large number of vehicles visible on site—conservative headcount about 60— and evidence of long-term, partially dismantled or rusted vehicles that make the property appear more like a junkyard than a limited repair operation allowed by prior permits. The minutes record that vehicles were staged tightly around the building, creating limited or no clear 20-foot fire access lanes on the east and west sides and potentially impeding emergency vehicle access. The Building Inspector and board members called for a Fire Department inspection and further advice on code compliance.

Applicant Michael J. Griffin was present and described personal and medical hardships over the past decade that impeded site management and timely permit renewals. Griffin described the business as a full-service Volvo specialty and restoration shop with master technicians and said some vehicles are high-value collector cars and some are personal vehicles. The minutes note the applicant has been pursuing off-site satellite parking and site improvements including fencing, a sliding gate, landscaping and cameras.

The board unanimously decided not to renew the lapsed permit at the meeting because the site condition appears materially different from prior permits (the last on-file renewal dates back to 2009). The board set specific deliverables and milestones the applicant must meet: provide a complete inventory of all vehicles on the property by the end of the current month (including identifiers and ownership status, and to include partial/inoperable vehicles present at month-end); permit photographic baseline documentation by board or staff in December; submit a simple site/landscape plan by April showing proposed plantings and fencing; arrange for the Fire Department to inspect and advise on required 20-foot clearances; and accept ongoing monitoring by the Building Inspector. The board reserved the right to reopen the matter earlier than April if progress is insufficient and indicated a future permit, if granted, would likely be short-term (approximately one year) with firm, enforceable conditions.

Chair John Riordan moved and Ms. Pincus seconded to continue the matter to April 6, 2026; the roll call was unanimous. The board also recorded that prior permit conditions (1997 and 2001) included limits on outside storage and use of the site for mechanical repairs only, with no painting and limits on cars parked for resale. The Building Inspector will monitor compliance and the board may pursue enforcement or penalties for non-compliance.

The continuance formalizes a compliance and auditing timeline rather than granting a new permit at this meeting.