Melkonian presents several plans to Selectmen members
Published on June 29th, 2005
If town officials need a real expert to help with the parking-strapped Town Square, they need not to look outside Stoneham’s borders.
For the second time in a year, local businessman Alan Melkonian came before the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night and requested that he be allowed to create a parking lot.
According to local attorney Charlie Houghton, who represents the Stoneham Ford owner, Melkonian wished to raze the existing building at 90 Montvale Avenue, adjacent to Montvale Mobil, and create 32 parking spots.
Should the request be granted, Houghton explained, Melkonian would then sell the new lot to Stoneham Bank, which has currently experienced a lack of spots due to the growth of its facility.
"This is a little different from most site plans. We’re not building, we’re creating parking. My client owns the existing building next to Stoneham Bank, and he’ll be selling it to them for parking spaces," Houghton said.
According to the attorney and Melkonian, some site preparation would be necessary for the project, including filling in the area of the proposed demolition so that the site sat more level with the adjacent bank and also with Montvale Avenue.
With little to debate about, the Selectmen approved the site plan unanimously.
41 Elm Street
While Melkonian received permission for the first plan, the Board of Selectmen continued a site plan hearing for the businessman’s second request until July 26.
According to Houghton, Melkonian was proposing to build a one-story building at the rear of the office space for the purposes of creating an area for local contractors to start their businesses.
"Originally, there was a historic structure [there], that was taken apart and moved away. There’s four bays or units that Allan’s going to rent. So if there’s a plumbing contractor who wants to start a business, he could go there," Houghton explained.
Supporting the project, Housing Authority member Joanne Graves believed the site would have a minimal impact on the properties on Calthea Street, which currently border the site in the rear. In fact, Graves believed that Melkonian would improve the site by cleaning up the littered lot and erecting a fence that would improve the area’s safety.
"On the end of Calthea Street, it seems that half the Town of Stoneham is dumping their monitors there. It needs to be cleaned up. And having a fence there will keep the children away from [that area]. Mr. Melkonian agreed to do that," Graves said.
Despite that support, and similar incentives such as the businessman’s plans to create an easement for the town and relocate several utilities that run under the property, the Selectmen continued the hearing at Houghton’s request.
According to the local attorney, the petitioner still needed to meet with the Conservation Committee, and the results of those meetings might result in a reconfiguration of the current site plan proposal.
Special Municipal Employee
The Selectmen voted unanimously to grant Board of Health member Traci Mello special municipal employee status.
According to Selectmen Chair Bob Sweeney, because Mello had recently been elected to the Board of Health, the board needed to bestow several exemptions upon Mello that would allow her to continue working for both as a nurse at the Board of Health and as school nurse.
[This] will allow me to work for the Board of Health as a public nurse and for the School Committee as a school nurse. Doing so will allow me to work full-time for the school department and part-time for the Board of Health," Mello wrote to the Selectmen in a formal written request for the special status.
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