LYNNFIELD – Automotive giant Herb Chambers is planning to add a new fleet of Cadillac vehicles on the site where a former Smart cars dealership site on Route 1 North, adjacent to a showroom that now houses both the Mercedes Benz and Smart cars brands that bear his name.

Chambers is in the midst of seeking town permits for his proposed Cadillac dealership. He has already received site plan approval from the Planning Board, and the proposal now sits with the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), which has held several hearings on the plan. The primary issue that needs resolution is lighting of the property.

The ZBA had requested Chambers’ representatives, specifically attorney Ted Regnante, Peter Ogren of Hayes Engineering and Sal Sachetta, of Chambers, meet the town’s lighting bylaw, which restricts the amount of light given off by any fixture to no more than 20 foot-candles.

Adhering to that bylaw would have required Chambers to change all the fixtures at a cost of $500,000, Regnante said. Regnante said that option was “not feasible.”

Chambers compromised by agreeing to lower the wattage in the fixtures from 1,000 to 750 watt bulbs, thereby reducing the amount of light on the facility by 25 percent.

At a meeting held last week, Chambers brought in a lighting engineer who said the plan met the bylaw in all but five spots. Of those five, Chambers agreed to remove one and relocate four other poles, ballasts and fixtures. Of the four relocated poles, Chambers was willing to lower the wattage again, from 750 to 350 watts.

Regnante said ZBA member David Miller was still interested in seeing all the lights changed to meet the bylaw. Regnante countered that he does not believe the bylaw is enforceable, because there was a non-conforming use of the lighting prior to the bylaw’s implementation.

Much of the issue around the lighting is the effect it would have on Canterbury Road residents, whose homes border the rear of the site facility. A resident at the last meeting suggested shields be erected on the front of the fixtures that face Route 1 to reduce potential glare.

Miller requested that Regnante both consider the shield plan, and submit his objection in writing to his contention of the non-conforming use when the ZBA meets next Thursday night.

If the plan is approved, the two-story dealership would consist of nearly 18,000 square feet, and land for over 400 parking spaces. The building would cover only about 18 percent of the land Chambers owns. Regnante said the ZBA has already approved signage and wetlands matters.

Chambers also satisfied questions the ZBA raised concerning emergency access to the building. Regnante said tweaks were made to the design and location of the facility that would allow a ladder truck to maneuver around the site. The Fire Department has also signed off on fire alarm and sprinkler systems.

If the ZBA approves the plan and there are no appeals of the decision, Chambers must also go before the Conservation Commission before demolition of the existing Kia building starts and construction begins. Regnante is hopeful that process can start around April, with the project ready for occupancy 60-90 days later.

Chambers, the largest auto dealer in New England with 47 dealerships, is in the midst of a building boom, despite the down economy. He recently renovated and expanded the Flagship Motors facility on Route 1 and is opening other dealerships in the area.

The site Chambers is considering also once housed a Kia dealership before it was transferred to a Smart cars showroom. Smart cars are still housed in the showroom, but sales of the vehicles transpire in the Flagship showroom.

Chambers was seeking a Cadillac dealership following the closure of a Danvers-based Cadillac facility.

by Jeff Shmase

article courtesy of the Peabody / Lynnfield Weekly News

Looks like a lot of fun!

Photos courtesy of Boston Common Magazine

image courtesy of the Boston Herald

“As a company we experienced significant growth in 2009, and this opening marks our first new dealership in 2010,” said Herb Chambers. “We look forward to continuing to grow our company and service our expanding customer base, and adding the KIA brand to our family of dealerships is something we are very excited about.”
The new dealership features a beautiful six car showroom, ten service bays, and a cus-tomer waiting lounge. The dealership is now officially open for sales, service and parts and has created 25 new full-time jobs.
Herb Chambers KIA is located at the former site of Audi Burlington and Herb Chambers Porsche of Burlington which were recently moved to new facilities down the road at 62 Cambridge Street in Burlington.
The new location is Chambers’ fourth in Burlington, joining Audi Burlington, Herb Chambers Porsche of Burlington, and Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington all of which are located on Route 3A.
“This new dealership creates jobs and further enhances our presence in the Burlington community, both of which are important to us,” said Herb Chambers. “We are proud to offer customers the high quality KIA brand at a location that is very convenient, and we look forward to servicing our customer’s needs at this new location.”
In 2009, Chambers opened four new dealerships including Porsche, Audi, Infiniti and BMW, completed major renovations at his Lynnfield Mercedes-Benz and Smart Center dealerships, and also opened a new truck service and collision center in Braintree.

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Ford Motor Co.’s yearlong resurgence got another little boost Monday morning when its vehicles swept the car and truck of the year awards at the North American International Auto Show here.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid won the car class and the odd-looking but highly practical 2010 Transit Connect won the truck award.

It was only the third time in 17 years of the Detroit auto show awards that one automaker won both major categories.

A jury of 49 automotive journalists voted on the awards. Earlier, Motor Trend magazine named the Ford Fusion its Car of the Year award, adding to other awards that the automaker has won in the U.S., Europe and Asia over the past year.

North American International Auto Show juror Csabe Csere, a former editor at Car and Driver, said: “Though not the first hybrid on the market or even the second or third, the Fusion Hybrid is simply the best one ever built.”

Jurors praised the Transit Connect — which with its narrow width and tall roof looks a bit like a European ambulance — for its practicality. The four-cylinder Transit Connect’s generous cargo area can be outfitted with shelves or other tools for use by businesses.

By Terry Box / The Dallas Morning News

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