WOBURN - The proposed move of a Burlington-based masonry firm to Salem Street in East Woburn may be in question after several members of the City Council this week said they are concerned about issues involving access, density and parking.

Bonanno Construction, a family-owned business with at least two members living in Burlington, is seeking a special permit to house office facilities and construction vehicles at 239 Salem St., at a site just east of the Boston & Maine Railroad tracks.

"We've had issues with that property in the past, which are not (the Bonannos' concern)," said Ward 5 Alderman Darlene Mercer-Bruen. "But the property has not been kept up ... and to the left of that area is a residential neighborhood.

"I'm just concerned you're asking to use it as a parking lot," added Mercer-Bruen.

After a half-hour hearing, the council voted to send the Bonannos' petition to its Special Permits Committee and the matter was continued to the next regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The Bonannos were asked to come up with more definitive plans for the site, particularly in terms of parking and aesthetic improvements.

"I'm concerned with curb appeal," said Ward 6 Alderman John Ciriello. "Anyone can promise anything, and five years from now we could be sitting here and nothing could be done."

Bonanno Construction

Local attorney Geoffrey Curtis said the Bonannos have run a masonry business currently based in Arlington and Burlington for "about 43 years" and primarily build walkways, driveways, patios, pool decks and the like, for "individual" customers.

The family was represented at the hearing by Burlington residents Robert and Tino Bonanno.

According to Curtis, the plan calls for the storage of two small pickup trucks, two small bobcat dozers, a Bobcat excavator, and two trailers to be stored at 239 Salem St. Workers will drive to the site in their personal vehicles and exchange them for construction vehicles that will be driven to various job sites.

"There will be no traffic except for one trip in the morning and one in the afternoon," said Curtis, who later added there will be "no big Caterpillar or John Deere earth-movers" parked at the site.

"But they're not small enough not to be seen from the street," said Mercer-Bruen. "It doesn't sound like the Bonannos are going to be doing business here."

There is a residential house on the site with a "month-to-month tenant," who Curtis said also has a used car sales license.

Acceding to concerns from the Planning Board, which issued an unfavorable recommendation for the special permit partly because there were too many different uses planned for the site, the Bonannos have agreed to use the house only for office space, with potentially a tear down and construction of another house, or a "complete renovation."

"We were agreeable (to the idea) that there are just too many uses in the building," said Curtis. "They just want to have an office, with no residential use and (no) sale of vehicles."

As many as eight cars currently associated with the residential use would be removed, Curtis noted.

He added the current industrial zoning classification allows a veterinarian, doctor or dentist's office that could potentially bring "20 people coming in and out every hour."

"But (a dentist) isn't going to be parking trucks there ... probably a Mercedes," replied Mercer-Bruen.

Fitting in the neighborhood

Noting the council has recently made "great strides in cleaning up" the Salem Street neighborhood, Mercer-Bruen said she didn't want to see the a step backward by allowing a "parking lot (for) vehicles that are (currently) parked in Burlington."

Curtis said the intent was to make the site the "best-looking in the neighborhood" and a "show place" for the Bonannos' work, but Mercer-Bruen noted there were no definite plans that had been forwarded to the council for examination.

"It's early enough in the process that we can figure that out in committee," said Curtis. "The idea was to try to do (site improvements) in pieces."

Ward 7 Alderman Raymond Drapeau asked if there were any plans to have an access road from the parking area onto Walnut Hill Park, which would solve an apparent problem of the width of the entrance to the site off Salem Street.

Curtis said an easement would be required from a neighbor, something he "could explore" before the next meeting.

In response to another question from Ward 2 Alderman Richard Gately about the width of the driveway off Salem Street, Curtis said the Bonannos would like to widen it beyond the current 12 feet.

"My concern is you have a truck coming in and a truck coming out, and one of them has to back up," said Gately. "It's hard to do when you have a trailer hitched up."

In response to a question from Gately about storage at the site, Robert Bonanno said the only items would be "stuff that's left over from a job" that would be stored in a garage on-site.

Alderman at-large Paul Denaro said the council has "a lot of flexibility" with the particulars of the proposal at present and suggested working with the petitioners to "come out with a project that cleans up a blighted area."

Other aldermen agreed with the notion that the council has a chance to improve what is currently an unsightly area.

"We worked very hard to get rid of the (Consolidated Freightways) truck terminal down the street," said Alderman at-large Joanna Gonsalves.

She also suggested the council would likely add a condition to the special permit, if it is approved, limiting the size and weight of the commercial vehicles that are parked at the site.

Peter Carbone, of Carbone Commercial Properties, which is the listing real estate broker for the property, recalled an instance from a few years ago when a car wash proposed for the same site was greeted with resistance from the neighbors in the area.

He said the Bonannos' proposal would generate far less traffic, and they would improve the appearance of a property that has been difficult to sell.

"They want to create a showplace for their work," said Carbone, who was the only member of the public to speak during the hearing.