Carlisle Planning Board Clears Path for Commonwealth Avenue Gas Station Renovation

CARLISLE -- June 9, 2026, Carlisle Planning Board unanimously backs renovation of 166 Commonwealth Avenue gas station in flood zone. The five-member board voted 5-0 at its June 9 meeting to approve a recommendation letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals supporting the proposed renovation of the existing gas station at 166 Commonwealth Avenue, which sits within the Floodplain Conservancy District. Chair Pat Nelson led the board through more than 20 minutes of line-by-line edits before the vote, adding and refining conditions on stormwater drainage, underground fuel tank removal, EV charging station availability, delivery scheduling for large trucks, and construction vehicle parking. A condition clarified with input from the Carlisle Fire Department requires the applicant to receive approval for a tank-removal permit before any building permit is issued, with fire inspectors required on site during removal to check for fuel leakage. The board declined to mandate that EV chargers be shut off overnight, with member Rob Almeida arguing the decision should rest "at the discretion of the property operator."