ABOUT TOWN: Neighbors Win Battle Over 75 Lambert Ave. Property in Stoughton

LAMBERT AVENUE PROPERTY UPDATE: Stoughton Attorney Steve Delamere tells About Town that David Krivelow and Scott Rawl, of Resource Project Group, have withdrawn their efforts to convert the vacant eyesore at 75 Lambert Avenue into an office and storage facility for their wrecking and demolition company.

"My clients have decided to withdraw their application for the special permit for the 75 Lambert Avenue property. They saw such opposition that they didn't want to go forward when it seemed the people in that area were not interested in having a business in there. They were open to their suggestions, and didn't want to make matters worse for the neighbors," Delamere told me.

This was a nice move by Krivelow, a Stoughton resident, and Rawl. They could have pursued it, and appealed a negative decision, if the Zoning Board of Appeals were so inclined to make one.

Now, Stoughton has an opportunity to move forward and purchase this property through a Town Meeting Warrant, if that is what the town decides to do (a similar proposal was withdrawn at the 2011 Town Meeting).

Eventually, the property could be used to expand the Senior Center/Youth Commission building at 110 Rockland Street, or its parking lot.The Open Space Committee, Stoughton Redevelopment Authority, Board of Selectmen and Town Manager should work together to get a plan together to purchase the property, or take it by eminent domain. The residents of that neighborhood deserve no less.   

Board of Selectmen Chairman John Stagnone, who had written a letter to the ZBA (as a private citizen, not in his capacity on the BOS), was happy to hear the news from About Town.

He said, "It goes to show if the neighbors come out, sometimes they get the results they wanted. This wasn't a good fit for the neighborhood from the beginning. But, the neighbors came out in great numbers, and it's a good end result. We don't want to lose business, so we hope there are other properties better suited for that business in Stoughton." 

The attempt to build an office space, and house a 20-foot dump truck there. got NO support from anyone in town, except the property owner's attorney.  The Town of Stoughton didn't seem too keen on the idea of Resource Project Group's proposal.

In addition to Stagnone, the town building commissioner Tom McGrath, and the planning board also wrote letters against the project.

Planning Board chairman Joseph Scardino read from that letter at a . It concluded, "The property is located partially in a General Business Zone and in a Residential Zone which changes the character of this largely residential neighborhood. The existing General Business zone parcel stands alone within an almost wholly Residential zone, which is incompatible with the existing land uses. A General Business zone use surrounded by residential uses creates negative encroachments and adversely impacts the neighborhood."

In addition, a number of neighbors wrote letters to the ZBA requesting denial of Case #4070 for the request for a Special Permit for the 75 Lambert Ave. property. 

More than a dozen residents took the microphone and spoke out against the proposal.  Almost 100 people were in the Yaitanes Room and Great Hall.  Their efforts paid off, for their neighborhood and the Town of Stoughton.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Dori Frankel, a graduate of Bentley University, and paralegal.   Her expertise has helped a number of organizations, including the Food Pantry Foundation of Stoughton, which she serves as Treasurer, and she did all the paperwork that created their 501C3 non-profit status. And, she even babysat for Harry the Rescue Dog.  The long-time Conservation Commission and town meeting member is married to Mel Frankel, one cool dentist.

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BELATED ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS! Happy 31st anniversary to John and Nancy Sawyer of Stoughton!  John is the owner of Classic Limo. Happy 20th to Fred and Anita Boyle. Fred owns Boyle Carpet Cleaning. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama also celebrated their 20th. All three couples celebrated their wedded bliss Wednesday.

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