Attorney leads charge to put drive-up zoning onto Swampscott warrant

SWAMPSCOTT – Comments that Chairman Anthony Scibelli has been making during Board of Selectmen meetings regarding a citizen petition to allow drive-through windows in Vinnin Square have some people in town upset.A group of residents submitted a petition signed by approximately 170 residents that compelled the Board of Selectmen to add an article for the zoning change to the special Town Meeting warrant.If approved by Town Meeting, the zoning change would allow restaurants in the Vinnin Square area to apply for a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals for a drive-through window.Attorney William DiMento, one of the individuals who spearheaded the petition campaign, said Scibelli spoke against the article at the last two televised Selectmen meetings when the warrant was brought up.Calls to Scibelli were not returned Wednesday, but at Tuesday’s Selectmen meeting and the meeting last week, Scibelli said the Selectmen had no choice in whether to put the article on the warrant because the Town Charter allows residents to add an article to a special Town Meeting warrant by petition.”If I could vote against putting it on I would,” he said.DiMento said he took offense at Scibelli’s comments.”This is at least the second time he has made that comment during a televised meeting,” DiMento said. “He is trying to use the airwaves and his position as chairman to influence people against the article before it even gets to Town Meeting. People like Scibelli claim to be pro-business but are actually anti-business ? that’s why we put it on (the special Town Meeting warrant) by petition. We knew the selectmen would never agree to put it on the warrant.”DiMento said he believes the article would get a fair hearing at the special Town Meeting, despite Scibelli’s comments.”People in town realize CVS, banks and car washes all have drive-throughs,” he said. “People will realize this is business-friendly and a way to build our commercial tax base. I believe the residents in town are more interested in building our commercial tax base than Scibelli is. So I am confident this will get a fair hearing at Town Meeting, despite his comments.”DiMento, a member of the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee, said the article is very similar to one that was going to be proposed by the review committee for the annual Town Meeting this spring.”It is something the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee has looked at,” he said. “It is something that was going to be recommended at the next annual Town Meeting anyway.”