Selectmen approve Dairy Dome addition
Published on February 28th, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Board of Selectmen unanimously authorized a building addition at Main Street's Dairy Dome this Tuesday night, despite cited concerns over potential parking hazards.
According to local attorney Charles Houghton, who represents long-time Dairy Dome business owner Thomas Mayo, his client was seeking to tack an eight by 24 foot addition onto the northeast side of the site.
With the new space, Mayo hopes to expand the business, by adding meal service to the popular summer ice-cream eatery.
The proposal for the alterations at the historic property, located at 472 Main Street near Middle Street, had already received an endorsement from the town's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), which granted side setback variances.
The ZBA also reportedly granted variances for parking at the site, but the local attorney wasn't specific as to what waivers were specifically given.
"The building is close as it's laid-out, but it's also a historic building, so we didn't want to change anything," said Houghton of the ZBA process. "We did meet zoning for many of the requirements and we did acquire variances [for parking]."
According to Selectmen Chair Robert Sweeney and board member George Seibold, they had some serious concerns about parking lot alterations at the site.
Specifically, in order to comply with zoning bylaws and to build the addition itself, the applicant had proposed creating four new spaces on the Middle Street side of the lot.
"To me, this is a little more dangerous. I see more of a hazard here than anything," said Seibold, who wanted to be accommodating, but worried about the potential for accidents. "We're supposed to be working with the businesses. But all I'm stressing is that safety is huge here."
Sweeney, whose concerns largely centered upon a recommendation from the police department that a parking study be prepared, challenged Houghton to explain where that document was.
In addition, the Selectmen veteran also sought an explanation as to why a proposed 24-foot-long curb cut on Middle Street wasn't addressed by local officials during their review of the plans.
"The word [parking] study is probably is misnomer. We didn't actually do a parking or traffic study, we just revised the parking [plan]," responded Houghton.
"But that's not what it says here," Sweeney retorted. "My concern is usually on the project review report, under conditions it will say, 'curb cut onto Middle Street'. And then it would say that, 'you agree.""
According to Houghton, the project review team, which consists of representatives from the police, fire, building, Board of Health, and public works departments, specifically asked for alterations to the parking layout.
Their major concern, Houghton claimed, was having more cars entering the Dairy Dome property and then backing-out onto oncoming traffic on Main Street. So when his client went to the ZBA for required variances, the added four spaces on the Middle Street side.
"Without that curb-cut, you can't utilize those four new spaces. We wouldn't comply with zoning," the local lawyer explained. "When doing the department review, backing up onto Main Street and all of that was discussed. They didn't think that was a good idea."
With not a single abutting neighbor speaking at Tuesday night's hearing on the proposal, the Selectmen warily agreed to the addition, but warned Houghton and Mayo that the plan would be amended if the parking layout proved to be an issue.
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