Lunenburg ZBA Unanimously Approves Subaru Dealership Rebuild on Chase Road

LUNENBURG -- June 10, 2026, Lunenburg ZBA approves Subaru dealership rebuild and a two-family conversion in unanimous votes. The Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously Wednesday to grant a special permit renewing a 2021 approval for Empire Management Corporation to build a new 27,593-square-foot Subaru dealership at 757 Chase Road, a project stalled by Subaru's national rebrand that forced a redesign after the prior permits expired. Brian Laffrey of Colonial Automotive Group told the board the company spent $30 million on a similar facility in Belmont before being told that design was discontinued, and projected a spring 2027 construction start pending final Subaru corporate sign-off. Landscape architect James Almonte of Land Design Collaborative said the permit restores and refines a prior nonconforming setback, adding a curbed landscaped island five feet onto the property to prevent future vehicle creep toward Chase Road. In a second unanimous vote, the board approved a special permit for Tanner Cole to convert the single-family house at 990 Massachusetts Avenue into a two-family dwelling, adding a fence condition after neighbor Linda McDonald cited safety concerns about her adjacent pool.