Lodge at Ames Pond Will Be Allowed Additional Parking

On a muggy August night, the Tewksbury Zoning Board of Appeals took less than an hour to handle four issues brought before them.

The board signed off on a proposal by The Hanover Company, which owns The Lodge at Ames Pond, to add 50 new parking spaces in order to accommodate the needs of their tenants.

When the luxury apartment complex was built on Ames Hill Drive, the Hanover Company had planned on 1.65 parking spaces per tenant. Because of an error in calculations, The Lodge at Ames Pond had a shortage of parking, and so requested a comprehensive permit for additional parking from the board.

The board voted that the issue was non-substantial, and so didn't require a full hearing. Board member Amy Witts voiced concerns over sight lines and a potentially dangerous three-way intersection in one proposed lot.

The board eventually approved the additional spaces on the provision that a letter from The Hanover Company's engineer determined these issues to be resolved.

The board also unanimously approved a request for a special permit brought by  Haralampos Sidirolpoulos for a 24-foot-by-6-foot addition to a building in progress at 1992 Main St.

The special permit is required for the gas and convenience store to build a drive-through window. With the help of a lawyer,  Sidirolpoulos described his intentions for the bump-out addition to accommodate the drive-through, as soon as paving and the construction of signage had been completed.

Board members questioned Sidirolpoulos about space concerns, particularly those associated with the clearance between dumpster containment and the drive-through. When these issues had been addressed, the board found the addition "not detrimental to native structure" and finally voted unanimously in favor of the proposed addition.

In other business:

The ZBA tabled plans for its reogranization until September because of the absence of Robert Dugan, one of the board members.

The first hearing involved Praxair Inc., which had requested a variance from Tewksbury Zoning Bylaw to create two lots at 1635 Shawsheen St. This proposal was discontinued without prejudice.

The board unanimously approved a request for a special permit from Robert M. Harrington. He needed the special permit to install a 14-foot-by-68-foot manufactured home at 117 Leicester St.

The proposed site had been previously occupied by a smaller home of Harrington's, which had been razed because of construction issues, such as an inadequate roof.

After some discussion by the board regarding building permits and the differences between the old and new building footprints, the manager of The Lakeside Mobile Home Court spoke on Harrington's behalf. He advocated for the new building, stating that it would positively affect the community of the Lakeside Mobile Home Court.

After quick deliberation, the board unanimously granted the special permit to Harrington.