HomeMy WebLinkAboutLtr from P Sundelin1
Peter A. Sundelin, Esquire
995 Main Street
P.O. Box 771
West Barnstable, MA 02668
508-648-6873
February 2, 2025
Chairman Jacob Dewey
Town of Barnstable Zoning Board of Appeals
Via email: <anna.brigham@town.barnstable.ma.us>
RE: ZBA Appeal Number 2024 – 044
970 Main Street, West Barnstable
,
Dear Chairman Dewey and Members of the Board:
I am a retired attorney from West Barnstable. My practice was located at 990 Main Street,
West Barnstable from 1979 to 2000. My office was directly across the parking lot from
what was then Huhtanen’s Auto Body at 970 Main Street.
In 1993, I purchased a home at 995 Main Street, located across the street from my
office. My home at 995 Main Street is diagonally across the street from the auto body
shop. In 1998 I began construction, behind my home, of the building that housed my
law practice from 2000 until my recent retirement.
Accordingly, I have had an opportunity to observe the auto body business, at close
hand, for forty six (46) years.
Beginning in 2019, I observed the following changes at the auto body:
There was an increase in days of operation from five and one half days a week to
seven.
There was an increase in hours of operation that extended beyond five o'clock and well
into the evening.
There was a large increase in traffic and congestion at the auto body shop. This
extended into the parking lot of 990 Main Street. Delivery trucks for 990 Main Street
were forced out into the Main Street road layout due to the increased auto body
business.
2
There also appeared to be a big increase in employees from what was formerly, by my
observation, limited to Mr. Atwood and two employees.
Noise associated with the business increased. This was due in part to the increase in
work out of doors. Mr. Atwood did work out of doors, when the weather was good. It
appeared he used the out of doors when he wanted to, but not by necessity. Since
2019, outside work has been necessitated because the indoors has been occupied by
additional employees beyond the prior existing two.
The front and side of the body shop parking area was a mixture of pavement and dirt.
In 2019 this area, and more, was paved without benefit of Site Plan Review. No
provision for handling wastewater runoff was made.
I never observed the former owner, Mr. Atwood, or his employees, utilize the marked
spaces in the adjacent 990 Main Street parking lot for parking their vehicles. This has
occurred under subsequent ownership.
The front and side of the business now contain more parked cars than I recall. The
proposed site plan shows thirty five spaces in total. None are attributed to parking for
the three bedroom home which is on site. The plan calls for two parking spaces in front
of the shop overhead door on the south side of the building. This is impractical because
it will obstruct vehicles entering and exiting.
Questions arise. Where will the homeowners vehicles be parked? Where will vehicles
obstructing the overhead door be moved when vehicles are being moved in and out of
the garage bay? Why is there no provision for delivery trucks? Recently there were
seven vehicles packed into the location where only five are shown on the proposed site
plan as numbers 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
At no time did I observe the rear yard packed with vehicles, as is proposed on the site
plan submitted. I did observe some vehicles scattered about and a large sailboat in the
rear yard of the auto body. It was not until recent years that I observed the rear yard of
the residence filled with vehicles, structures and equipment.
Sincerely,
Peter A. Sundelin