By Theresa Knapp 

ADESA Boston’s application to build an overflow parking lot at 194 Lowland Street is back before the Holliston Planning Board which unanimously denied it in December 2020. 

In August 2021, eight months later, ADESA filed suit against the Planning Board and now the  matter is back before the town at the applicant’s request to try to settle the issue. 

ADESA is a nationwide wholesale car auction house. “ADESA Boston” is located at 63 Western Avenue in Framingham. The proposed project would be a 585-space parking lot that would serve as additional storage space for cars awaiting auction in Framingham. 

“This is basically the same proposal as it was last time around with more information,” said Peter Barbieri, attorney for ADESA Boston and a Holliston resident, at the January 13, 2022 meeting where the Planning Board reopened the hearing. 

According to the 2020 denial, “The site is located at the southerly edge of the Lowland Industrial Park and directly abuts the Agricultural-Residential B zoning district to the south. There are approximately fifteen (15) residential abutters (single-family homes) within 300 [feet] of the site.”

The denial further states, “The application, if approved, would significantly alter the character of the surrounding neighborhoods due to the amount and nature of traffic (especially heavy trucks), noise and diesel exhaust.” 

Other reasons for the denial included, in part, traffic, lighting, noise, conflicting hours of operation relative to those allowed by neighboring Sherborn, and missing information related to signage and a proposed security building. 

At last month’s hearing, Barbieri said “this site is basically a gravel pit” and it would only be used when the Framingham site was at 90 percent capacity. 

The site has 900 feet of frontage and consists of 43 acres, six of which are buildable. The lot could hold 585 cars, and it is expected 10 tractor trailers, on average, per day would serve the site. Since its original application, ADESA has redesigned the entrance and egress so that trucks are forced to travel north on Lowland Street. 

ADESA proposes to redevelop the berm along Lowland Street, remove from the lot brush and trees plus dilapidated buildings to improve its appearance from the road “so you won’t see the vehicles nor the one-story security facility,” Barbieri said. 

The new proposal includes a 32 foot by 8 foot security booth with septic to accommodate one security officer per shift 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They added parking lot lights 15-feet tall to be scattered throughout the lot, and added a sound barrier along the south property line. 

ADESA did not propose heat islands which are required for a four-acre parking lot and would need to request a waiver. Barbieri said “This is not a traditional parking lot” and said heat islands are not required in this situation and would create obstacles to maneuvering the site. 

Barbieri said ADESA is willing to donate to the town the remaining 37 acres it does not use for this project. 

 

The current Planning Board, which includes the addition of Barbara Peatie since the December 2020 vote, addressed only the civil issues presented at the Jan. 13 meeting - no materials related to traffic or noise were previously reviewed by the board so those issues were not addressed.

During a 30-minute public comment segment, residents raised concerns about contaminants on the site, debris getting into the aquifer affecting drinking water, a spill response plan, the size and location of the guard shack, collecting escrow for future issues, details surrounding the gift of land, and tax benefits for the town. They also requested historic data showing how often the Framingham site is at 90 percent capacity which would then lead to the use of the Holliston site. 

The Planning Board took the comments and will address the issues at the continued public hearing on Feb. 17 at 7:05 p.m.