Carlisle ZBA Approves Four ADU and Garage Permits, Continues Gas Station Hearing

CARLISLE — June 11, 2026 — Carlisle's Zoning Board of Appeals approved four special permits and continued two contested hearings at its June 11 session. The board unanimously granted special permits for accessory dwelling unit projects at 131 Harrington Avenue, 411 Bedford Street, and 98 Jenny Dugan Road, and approved reconstruction of a century-old nonconforming garage with an 825-square-foot ADU above at 199 Nashotic Road — finding authority for the Nashotic Road setback increase under the bylaw's ADU-specific relief provision. The highest-profile item, a special permit for attorney Jonathan Silverstein's client to renovate the existing gas station at 166 Commonwealth Avenue into an "Imperial Country Store" retail and fuel facility, was continued to July 9 after board member Rafa Fia identified missing ADA curb cuts, a tripping-hazard curb island, and unsuitable tree selections. "I can't let these items go because they're just not good," Fia said of the riprap and red bud plantings near the site's accessible parking. A deck application at 111 Pilgrim Road was also continued, with the board divided over whether increasing a nonconforming setback from 9.8 feet to 5.7 feet requires a variance rather than a special permit. A site visit for the 262 Virginia Road frontage-exception variance was set for June 25 at 8 a.m.