Dean Street Residents Protest Business Encroachment-July 11, 1967

Dean Street Residents Protest Zoning Change

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The petition was submitted by Alexander Rossi, a contractor living at 181 Dean St., who requested that the first 150 feet of his property be rezoned from “general residence” to “business.” This change would allow him to develop an access road to the rear of his lot, which is already zoned for manufacturing, enabling him to store his two heavy-duty work trucks on his land.

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The residents presented a petition signed by 77 neighbors, expressing deep concern that approval of the request would set a precedent that could ultimately render their homes valueless. Tensions were further exacerbated by local rumors suggesting that a neighboring property owner, Abraham Shagoury, was looking to sell his land to Ed Scanlon for an auto body shop, a claim Scanlon denied. The residents faced a frustrating hearing, as Atty. Paul L. Gallagher, representing Rossi, offered several compromised solutions—such as using the front of the property as a passageway or parking trucks as an “accessory use”—all of which were flatly rejected by the abutters. Selectman Chairman John A. Abdallah suggested that the board defer any formal action until long-term traffic planning could reroute heavy vehicles away from the residential Dean Street. Planners indicated that the town would likely revisit the Rossi proposal in the near future, though the final decision rests with the Town Meeting.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger