The Recorder – Charlemont boards look to curb Stagecoach Auto Repair violations

Printed: 2/3/2023 7:25:25 PM

CHARLEMONT — The Board of Health and fitness, Planning Board and Conservation Commission are drafting letters for the Selectboard about several health protection, environmental and allow violations they say are happening at Stagecoach Auto Fix on Route 8A.

In accordance to Selectboard member William Harker, the boards will post data pertaining to each individual of their locations of skills relating to the house, after which the Selectboard will write 1 letter to town counsel looking for direction on how to continue.

“We are going to bring boards up to par and see where they are likely to go from there by using an legal professional,” Harker said.

The 4 boards came together last 7 days to explore the challenges they say are happening at 180 Route 8A, also identified as Heath Road. Stagecoach Automobile Repair proprietor Brian Dupree was not current at the assembly. They will now function separately to establish the distinctive violations as they pertain to every single board.

The boards are worried about around 50 unregistered motor vehicles on Dupree’s assets that are close to Mill Brook. Dupree explained in a cell phone interview that there are even far more unregistered automobiles on the house, but the boards are considerably less anxious mainly because individuals motor vehicles are not close to the river. Dupree been given a stop-and-desist letter about the unregistered vehicles two several years in the past, and he claimed he has been doing work to take out them.

Dupree claimed he eliminated approximately 70 automobiles with support from a component-time employee around the summer season, but the course of action is gradual and challenging in the winter. He observed he cannot provide autos to the transfer station if they are protected in snow.

“There is a whole lot of time involved,” Dupree stated. “You get a thing for scrap metallic but it scarcely covers the cost of receiving rid of them.”

Dupree has run a organization for 35 decades repairing and towing vehicles, and submitted an software for a Course III permit 10 several years ago that would allow for unregistered vehicles on the whole lot. He was educated two yrs in the past that the allow was not approved and he refused to apply once more due to the fact he had now compensated all the fees for the allow when it was rejected. Dupree took around the Course II allow for the automotive restore and towing business from his father when he died about 30 several years in the past.

Barbara Beall, a member of the Conservation Fee, claimed she did not want to speak about the details of the problem. Continue to, the commission’s career is to uphold the Wetlands Defense Act.

“I come to feel like there is a social agreement for everyone who life in these cities. What any person does impacts their neighbors,” Beall said, introducing that she is concerned about this property due to the fact the unregistered autos are polluting Mill Brook, which flows into the Deerfield River.

On conference once more on Thursday, Board of Overall health members stated they ended up anxious about a hoarding challenge on the assets, which makes a possible for vermin and attainable issues with well h2o contamination.

Dupree explained he does not have the funds to take away all the motor vehicles at when, and needed to retain the services of a law firm to offer with the town exacerbating his trouble.

“I don’t get paid out for the automobiles and I’m in difficulties with the city, so now it’s a catch-22,” Dupree mentioned. “I simply cannot just clean up what has been happening for 35 decades.”

“He is in violation of all the boards,” Harker said, noting that the boards hope to move quickly and prepare for upcoming steps in the coming months.

Bella Levavi can be attained at [email protected] or 413-930-4579.