Sudbury officials tell proposed Mercedes dealership to cut parking, limit distractions

SUDBURY — If Herb Chambers Companies wants to build a new luxury car dealership along Boston Post Road (Route 20), it needs to scale back plans to add parking or display cars along the roadway to limit distraction on a busy stretch of road, town officials say.

Sudbury's Board of Appeals and Planning Board each reviewed Herb Chambers' proposal to build a new Mercedes car dealership earlier this month during regular meetings, with several members recommended ditching plans to add parking and keeping visual distractions — such as a massive flag or rows of cars for sale — to a minimum.

“I don’t want to see (cars displayed) along the roadway while driving into town,” said Planning Board member John Hincks during a Dec. 15 public hearing to review the project's site and stormwater plans. Too much parking is proposed on the east side of the building, he added, which can also be seen from the main roadway driving west.

"That view is very important," said Hincks.

Herb Chambers, which operates 60 car dealerships throughout Greater Boston, is seeking four special permits to open a new Mercedes car dealership, called Mercedes of Sudbury, at 141 Boston Post Road. That includes a proposal to add more spaces to the site — 296 in all.

The dealership is being proposed along a stretch where Herb Chambers runs two other operations: a BMW dealership at 128 Boston Post Road and a Jaguar Land Rover dealership at 83 Boston Post Road. Several other auto shops are located along that road, including other non-auto businesses like the Buddy Dog Humane Society and Conrad's Restaurant.

“I think you have to be on your toes driving through this part of town, (and) I think adding anything that might be more of a distraction could be challenging,” said Board of Appeals Chair John Riordan during that board’s Dec. 13 meeting.

The proposal calls for constructing a building that, with additions, will total 71,114 square feet, according to the application. Along with offering general auto body repairs, the facility will also sell and offer rental motor vehicles on the 15.8-acre site, according to an application submitted to the Planning Board last month.

A 7,190-square-foot inventory lot is also being proposed with a small mezzanine for the sales and display of new cars. The nearby property on 105 Boston Post Road was also acquired by the applicant to store overflow vehicles, said the project's attorney, Joshua Fox of Newton-based Rollins, Rollins & Fox, during the Board of Appeals hearing. He added that a collision center will not be part of the project.

More: UPDATED: Herb Chambers proposes Mercedes dealership for Sudbury; hearing is Monday

“This isn't technically in front of the building, but it might as well be if you’re heading west on Route 20,” said Hincks during the Planning Board meeting about the project's proposed parking area. For all site developments moving forward, Hincks said the board has been pushing for parking in the back of the building.

Fellow board members John Sugrue and Anuraj Shah agreed with axing the east side parking, as well as Hinck’s point about cutting out vehicle display pads from the project’s plans.

“The car display pads are an absolute ‘no,’” said Shah, adding that landscaping — such as trees — should be added in front of the building instead. Board member Justin Finnicum said there shouldn't be any new parking in front of the building or to the sides.

"Maintain the existing green space as it is," he said.

The project also proposed installing a massive American flag outside the dealership, much like one that's in front of its BMW dealership along the same road. But Riordan said they should scale it down if they want to put one out there.

"There's a place for that, but it looks like something that should be flying over some port in Baltimore," he said.

“This is a fairly large building with very good visibility, (so) even with just the Mercedes logo on the side, people know what kind of products are being sold there,” said Adam Duchesneau, Sudbury's director of planning and community development. In terms of expanded parking to the east of the site, about half of that would be more appropriate, he said.

Though more parking is being proposed for the site, the project’s traffic study anticipates less traffic than what was previously measured when the Bosse Sports Health Club was in business, said project engineer Gabe Crocker, of Crocker Design Group. The club formerly operated at the Boston Post Road property before closing in July 2020.

Still, the property is on a busy road with challenging intersections, such as one at the end of Goodman’s Hill Road onto Boston Post Road, said Riordan during the Board of Appeals meeting.

The project will update its designs to address concerns and will resubmit its plans, Crocker told the Planning Board at its meeting.

The project's public hearing was continued by both boards; Jan. 10 for the Board of Appeals and Jan. 26 for the Planning Board.

Lauren Young writes about business and pop culture. Reach her at 774-804-1499 or lyoung@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurenwhy__.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Sudbury officials want less parking at proposed Mercedes dealership