Pepperell Planning Board Continues McGovern Kia Dealership Hearing to April

PEPPERELL — March 27, 2026 — Pepperell Planning Board continued a public hearing on a proposed Kia automobile dealership on Route 1 and approved site plan review for a six-unit condominium conversion at a March 27 meeting. The McGovern Auto Group, which currently operates a Kia dealership at 105 Boston Providence Highway, is seeking a major project special permit to redevelop the former Sky Restaurant site and two adjacent parcels into a 24,800-square-foot dealership on 4.6 acres, a project the applicant says would create 53 full-time jobs. The board voted 5-0 to continue the hearing to April 27 after planning staff recommended additional time to review revised circulation plans, a same-day-submitted sign package, and a photometric plan, and to obtain sign-off from Town Engineer Mark Ryan and the fire department on a last-minute change restricting Sumner Street access to entry only. On the 21 Walpole Street condominium conversion, the board voted 5-0 to approve the site plan with standard conditions, declining to waive a requirement that a certified landscape architect — not the project civil engineer — certify post-construction plantings, with board member Debbie Homewood arguing "we dare not" bypass that standard given the site's visibility next to the town library.