License Commission Approves License for Used Car Dealership

The Revere License Commission held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening, October 19, in the City Council Chamber.

Chairman Robert Selevitch and fellow member Daniel Occena were on hand for the meeting.

Although there were only four items on the agenda, the meeting lasted 75 minutes, most of which was taken up by the application for a Class 2 Motor Vehicle Dealer License for 50 cars by Raymond Desamours, the President & Manager of Noah Autobody Repair & Sales, Inc., at the property listed at 1087R Broadway, to be open from 8AM-7PM seven days per week.

Mr. Desamours has been operating an auto dealer business in East Boston for a number of years, but has been renting his building there. He purchased the premises at 1087R Broadway, which previously had been the site of Kevin’s Auto Sales for 22 years and which also had a 50-car license, to operate his business on his own property.

However, Mr. Desamours only purchased the real estate at 1087R Broadway, not the existing car dealership business, which is why he had to come before the commission seeking a new license.

The commission initially had taken up the application in September. After hearing a lengthy presentation from the applicant and a a forceful opposition from the abutter, Michael Zaccaria of Action Emergency Management, the commission voted to continue the matter to its October meeting in the hope that the parties might come to an agreement.

In addition, the commission sought an opinion from the City Solicitor regarding whether questions pertaining to issues such as easements, the description in a deed, the location of lot lines, and similar matters are relevant to a decision by the commission to approve a business license.

Selevitch opened the hearing by reading a letter from the City Solicitor which stated that the issues regarding the property lines and similar concerns are NOT relevant to their decision as to whether to grant a license.

With that threshold question out of the way, Atty. Donald J. MacDonald of Saugus presented the application to the commission. Mr. Desamours also was on hand.

MacDonald began by telling the commissioners that Mr. Desamours would not be parking vehicles other than on his own lot.

However, both Occena and Selevitch questioned whether the lot can hold 50 cars which, they asserted, had no possible potential space for 50 cars.

After some back-and-forth, Desamours and MacLeod agreed to reduce the number of vehicles to 25.

Speaking in favor of the application was John Lentz, the proprietor of Autobody Specialists, a local auto body shop.

“I’ve known Raymond for 15 years and do all of his auto body repairs in getting his vehicles ready for sale,” said Lentz. “He’ll be an asset to the city of Revere.”

Speaking in opposition to the application was Lynn Atty. Deborah Gold-Alexander. Gold-Alexander began her presentation by noting that she agreed that the issue of boundary lines is not within the purview of the Licensing Commisison.

However, she presented a subdivision plan from 1995 and a land survey from 2005 that, she said, are in contradiction of each other and that indicate there was encroachment onto Action’s property by the previous owner of 1087R. She said that Action is hiring a new surveyor in order to resolve the discrepancies from the previous plans.

However, Gold-Alexander said she is hopeful of talking to Mr. MacLeod and reaching an agreement with his client.

Zaccaria told the commission that there had been an issue with encroachment on his property by the previous long-term dealership, Kevin’s Auto Sales, as well as by a subsequent short-term auto dealer.

Gold-Alexander also raised the issue of the lack of water and sewer services on the premises. However, Selevitch read a letter from the Building Inspector that stated that the premises are grandfathered-in as to this issue.

At the conclusion of the testimony, Occena spoke briefly.

“The applicant certainly is qualified and he intends to operate the premises as a used car lot,” Occena said. “We’ve not received any necessary information to suggest that we should not approve this license.  However, I think the number we should approve is 20 cars. Fifty cars is just too much. I can’t see it. But counsel can always come back at a later date to ask us to increase the number.”

“I think that’s a reasonable position to take,” agreed Selevitch, who suggested that the applicant should work with the abutter to resolve the issues between them.

McLeod then requested that the number of cars be increased to 25 from 20.

“I think even 20 cars is a stretch,” said Selevitch. “We can issue the license conditionally for 20 cars, with leave for you to come back and show us a diagram that indicates how you can park more than 20 cars.”

The other matters that came before the board were as follows:

— Application for two, 1-day Common Victualler, Entertainment, and Malt/Wine Licenses by Saint Anthony of Padua Church, 250 Revere Street, Maryann Giorgio, Event Manager, said licenses to be exercised at the same location on Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 5 p.m.– 11 p.m. for the parish’s Saint Anthony Feast Day celebration and on Saturday, November 12, for the parish’s annual Turkey-Rama fundraiser. Expected attendance is 275.

Ms. Giorgio presented the application to the commissioners and briefly explained the purpose of the fundraisers.

There were no opponents to the application and Selevitch and  Occena voted to approve it.

—  Application of Rincon Limeño Revere, Inc., Juan D. Jaramillo, Manager, for a pledge of license to Eastern Bank.

Mr. Jaramillo presented the application on his own behalf, briefly explaining that the pledge of the license was related to the financing of his business by the bank.

There was no opposition and the commission unanimously approved the application.

— A late application by Martignetti Cos., 286 American Legion Highway, for a 1-day mobile food vendor license for Saturday, October 22, from 1-4 p.m..

Adam Sobiloff  explained that the event was a customer appreciation day at which a vendor would provide sausages and other fare free-of-charge to customers as part of a wine-tasting event in the store.

There were no opponents and the application was approved unanimously.

The commission received the following communications in the past month:

1. Notification from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) of the approval of an application for change of manager of Uno Restaurants, LLC d/b/a Uno Chicago Grill.

2. Notification from the ABCC of the approval of an application for change of manager of MHF Logan Operating V, LLC d/b/a Hampton Inn Revere.

3. Notification from the ABCC of the approval of an application for change of manager of 99 West, LLC d/b/a 99 Restaurant & Pub.

The commission then adjourned until its next meeting on November 16.