Perseverance Allows Expansion of Downtown Haverhill Auto Dealership

A Haverhill automobile vendor proved the adage “perseverance pays off” when the City Council not too long ago granted Noel Ortega’s request to broaden his utilised car dealership.

Welcome Motors has operated given that 2017 at 25 Welcome St., with 21 spaces for vehicles to be marketed and four added areas for clients and staff members. In 2019, Ortega obtained an adjacent vacant great deal at 63 Pecker St. in hopes of increasing. Attorney Robert D. Harb, now symbolizing Ortega, described what transpired.

“You could recall, we ended up again in front of you final December right after Mr. Ortega experienced filed and he experienced some confusion there and you permitted us to withdraw with no prejudice and permitted us to refile. When I took the file above, there was basically no authentic feedback from any of the departments for or versus this venture. Immediately after we submitted, I bought quite a few requests for strategy alterations and responses and matters that were not discussed previous time,” he mentioned.

Harb claimed he and Ortega fulfilled with hearth officers and the creating inspector many periods to fulfill their requests, like one that pretty working day, from the hearth section demanding better firetruck entry from Pecker Street. As a result, he claimed, the enlargement will accommodate an extra six areas.

Revised options also phone for a six-foot vinyl fence about a portion of the assets and a 1,000- gallon dry-effectively catch basin to reduce the issues of Joseph Tropea, a neighbor, about feasible flooding. Harb claimed Ortega’s strategies will also be reviewed by City Engineer John H. Pettis III before any action is taken.

Irrespective of these safeguards, Councilor Michael S. McGonagle expressed problem about what he identified as 11^th hour variations.

“While all the things sounds fantastic, I just come to feel that maybe we may require a tiny much more time. There is much too a lot of items that are just outstanding right here,” he mentioned.

His colleagues disagreed, voting 8-1 in favor of the enlargement.