LYNNFIELD — The Planning Board reviewed a revised redevelopment proposal for multiple parcels on Broadway associated with the Herb Chambers Cadillac of Lynnfield dealership, now under new ownership following a landmark acquisition by Georgia-based Asbury Automotive Group.
Attorney Jesse Schomer, representing the developer, appeared before the Board to present the updated site plan for ZBA Cases #26-2, 421R, 433, 445, 449, and 451 Broadway under Section 10.6 Site Plan Review. The proposal calls for the demolition of existing structures, including the Donovans’ liquor store building, and the redevelopment of the site primarily for vehicle parking accessory to the adjacent auto dealership
“This proposal is a little different than what you saw last year,” Schomer told the Board. “At the time, it was proposed by the Herb Chambers Company before they were acquired by Asbury Automotive, and it was going to be a Porsche service center with accessory parking.”
Schomer explained that after Asbury Automotive Group completed its acquisition of most Herb Chambers dealerships earlier this year, Porsche opted not to move forward with the service center concept.
“When the Asbury folks came into the project, they reached out to Porsche, and unfortunately, Porsche decided they weren’t interested in moving forward anymore,” Schomer said. “So Asbury has shifted their plans for the time being to accessory parking for the dealerships.”
As a result, the existing liquor store building would be razed, a change that drew some lighthearted commentary from the Board.
“My 11-year-old son asked me as we drove by today, ‘What are they taking down? That liquor store?’” Chair Page Wilkins said. “So now I know what to tell him.”
Under the revised plan, parking spaces would be reconfigured and restriped, pavement conditions improved, and new underground stormwater management systems installed. No new above-ground buildings are proposed.
“The limit of work is no different than the previous proposal,” Schomer said. “It’s all within the General Business District. No work is proposed in the residential district at the rear of the site, and it’s no closer to the wetlands than before.”
Concerns raised during prior hearings, particularly about headlight glare affecting nearby homes, were revisited. Schomer noted that parking closest to residential abutters would primarily be used for vehicle storage rather than daily employee parking.
“These are going to be storage vehicles,” he said. “That’s anticipated to have the least amount of use and therefore the least amount of headlight impact on the abutters. The additional screening is specifically intended to mitigate that issue.”
Stormwater management was a significant focus of the discussion. Board members explained that the revised plan would improve existing conditions, which currently allow untreated runoff to flow toward nearby wetlands.
Director Emilie Cademartori said that right now, a lot of the water runs unabated into the wetland. She added that, with this proposal, “all of it is being treated and infiltrated underground. From an environmental standpoint, that’s an improvement over what exists today.”
The Board also reviewed proposed changes to curb cuts along Route 1, which would be reduced from four to three. Schomer emphasized the importance of maintaining southbound access to the site.
“If that access isn’t maintained, customers would have to drive all the way down into Saugus, make a U-turn, and come back,” he said. “It adds nearly 2 miles of unnecessary traffic.”
All curb cut modifications will require approval from MassDOT through a highway access permit.
Board members also addressed public misconceptions that the site might be redeveloped for housing following the dealership sale.
“This parcel has not been rezoned for multifamily housing,” Vice Chair Amy MacNulty said. “The fact that the liquor store is coming down does not mean housing is coming next. This remains a business-zoned property.”
After discussion, the Board voted unanimously not to oppose the site plan application, subject to the project obtaining the appropriate tree permit or certificate of exemption and final review by the Conservation Commission.
“This will go back before Conservation in January,” Cademartori noted, “and the peer reviewer will fully vet the stormwater system. From what we’re seeing, it’s going to be an improvement over existing conditions.”
The redevelopment represents one of the first local planning actions connected to Asbury Automotive Group’s $1.34 billion acquisition of Herb Chambers’ dealership portfolio, one of the largest auto retail transactions in U.S. history. Local officials have previously expressed confidence that the transition to Fortune 500 ownership reinforces the long-term use of the Broadway property as an auto dealership, a use they view as the site’s highest and best.
