Auburn zoning board OKs gas station site overhaul
Zoning Board · Meeting of September 17, 2026
Auburn's Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved redevelopment of a contaminated former gas station while rejecting a seasonal auto repair shop over a hazardous-materials bylaw. The board voted 5-0 by roll call to grant Branded Realty Group II, LLC two special permits and a variance for 481 Washington Street, where manager Robert Branca plans a 6,400-square-foot building with a drive-thru and 32 parking spaces after Getty Realty remediates decades of contamination. Engineer Patrick Healy said impervious surface would grow from about 10,000 to 37,000 square feet, offset by a new stormwater system; traffic engineer Lisa Wong reported a weekday peak-hour volume of roughly 1,800 vehicles at the Washington-Elm intersection.
Separately, applicant Yibadouai Mohamed Napon withdrew his bid to run an auto repair shop at 41 Elm Street after the board found town bylaw section 3.9.1.2 bars home occupations "using hazardous materials." Chair Robert Tatro said the town would refund Napon's application fees, and the board also reviewed new state Zoning Act changes lowering the variance standard to "practical difficulty."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,565 words
Source: the Zoning Board meeting of September 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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