Zoning board approves car wash sign, housing project

Zoning Board · Meeting of October 26, 2026

Lowell's Zoning Board of Appeals approved all three petitions before it, clearing a 205-unit Hurd Street housing project and a contested car wash sign. The board approved, with no member voting against, New England Heritage Properties' two variances for a $76 million, six-story development at 41 Hurd Street, the former district courthouse site, with attorney John Geary and company president Jeffrey Bush citing a city RFP mandate to "create density of, of housing." The board also voted 6-0 to approve a sign variance and special permit for a proposed Scrub-a-Dub car wash at 585 Pawtucket Boulevard, an $8 million project from AIM Realty Medford, LLC, over objections from seven Melrose Avenue-area residents who cited flood-zone restrictions; resident John Hamblin argued "there really is not a legal path to grant a variance here." A member said the board's role was limited: "What's being asked of us is concerning an illuminated sign." A smaller variance for a storage addition at 19 Lawton Street also passed 6-0.

In the full story:

• ZBA-2026-41: Variance for Storage Addition at 19 Lawton Street
• ZBA-2026-42: Variance and Special Permit for Illuminated Signage at 585 Pawtucket Boulevard
• ZBA-2026-43: Variance for 205-Unit Development at 41 Hurd Street
• Other Business
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,407 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of October 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.