SAUGUS — A group of neighbors presented a letter opposing a change of use that would allow a tuxedo shop to open at a property on Lynn Fells Parkway during a recent meeting of the Saugus Zoning Board of Appeals.
The property in question, 409 Lynn Fells Parkway, was previously the site of Petrie’s Flower Shoppe, which closed in 2021. The group 320 Revere Beach Parkway LLC, owner of Russo Tux Formal Wear in Reading and 409 Lynn Fells Parkway, is seeking an appeal to the town’s building inspector to change the property’s nonconforming use from “retail-floral in a residential area” to “retail-suit/tuxedo sale/rental with related floral sales in a residential area.”
The owner’s petition was ultimately moved to the board’s next meeting March 20, as Board Chair Tom Traverse said Town Counsel John Vasapolli wants to investigate and provide a formal legal opinion on the matter.
“So the legal question, I guess, is, is retail-floral the same as retail-tuxedos?” Traverse asked.
Karl Voelker, a neighbor of the property, presented a letter that he said had been signed by a number of neighbors opposing the change of use.
Voelker said that he is completely against the idea of a tuxedo shop on Lynn Fells Parkway, insisting that the area is residential and should remain that way.
“For somebody to say, ‘We want to put a tuxedo shop in there with a floral attachment to it,’ is absurd,” Voelker said. “I don’t want to look out my window and see Russo’s tux shops, no offense to the owners of that place.”
Voelker added that he would not mind having a flower shop, which the property is currently zoned for, at the location.
“I don’t see why the town would even consider putting a tuxedo shop there,” Voelker said. “You’ve got Route 1. What, are we trying to bring Route 1 down Lynn Fells Parkway? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Neighbor Jacki Kiddy said that she has lived in the area for her entire life and is opposed to the change of use.
“This is something that people really need to be thinking about and what it really means to the Town of Saugus,” Kiddy said. “This is really a bigger issue than what it seems to appear as.”
She asked those present on behalf of the petitioner why they want to use 409 Lynn Fells Parkway for the tuxedo and suit store.
Traverse said they had bought the property, to which Voelker responded that there is no hardship in this instance.
“When (the 320 Revere Beach Parkway group) bought the property, they knew it was for floral only,” Voelker said.
The owner of the property was represented at the meeting by Attorney James Cipoletta, who said he has a brief ready if Vasapolli requires it.
“Whatever we can do to make his job easier so this doesn’t get dragged on beyond the next month, we’re certainly happy to do that,” Cipoletta said.
