Developer Kevin Meehan has pulled plans for a country store and gas station to be sited at the corner of School and West Main Streets in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. At the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting last night, Meehan asked to withdraw the application without prejudice.
That site formerly housed the Evergreen Haven Garden Center, which was shuttered in 2022. In the spring of 2023, Meehan had contacted the current property owner, Alan O’Connor, about developing it. Meehan envisioned a country store set to blend into the area, four gas pumps, and multiple electric vehicle charging stations. His plan was to keep existing trees and build up landscaping on the property, including blueberries and a butterfly garden.
But after the opposition expressed by nearby property owners during the October 9th ZBA meeting, Meehan conceded that the community sentiment was against it. “We felt the temperature of the crowd and realized that they didn’t want this.” There may have been some willingness to accept development on the site, he said, but for most residents, the gas station component was a dealbreaker. “That wouldn’t work for us, but maybe there’s someone around that would like to do something there. And if we could withdraw without prejudice, I think it would be good for the O’Connors. It would be good for the town. It would be good for the board.”
>> Related: Hopkinton Divided Over Proposed Gas Station and Country Store
He thanked the board for its time. “Maybe we’ll find a better spot in Hopkinton that we can come and visit,” said Meehan. This decision ends the long-standing controversy in the community. Although proponents had argued that the project would have benefited residents and commuters, opponents raised serious concerns about traffic, zoning, and rural character.
This emphasizes the need for community input on local development decisions and the challenge that developers face in designing a project based on what neighborhoods would want.
That would have been a nightmare for traffic which is already awful in that area during rush hour.
This is a huge win for the town. Meehan and his gas stations! He is trying to be a gas giant so badly here he should change his name to Jupiter…
The haters of this so called ‘gas station project’ should ashamed of themselves with their signs and malice toward the owners of the property. There were 4 pumps proposed and a beautiful country store. Not the 12 pumps that canvassers told residents. This property will never be used for agriculture or residential purposes as it is currently zoned. I hope we don’t all regret the embarrassing ‘not in my backyard’ reaction we just saw by so many.
There was nothing “so called” about it . It was a GAS station and a convenience store (his own sign emphasizes GAS). Totally inappropriate for the current zoning. The developer tried to use the hardship variance as a loophole to avoid residents having the ability to vote on the proposal. The malice was directed at him, not the homeowners.
I tell you what, tell us where you live and we’ll be sure to support someone plopping a gas station next to your house!
The developer didn’t use the hardship variance; the owner did. The developer wanted to withdraw after the first meeting, but the owner did not. In the second meeting, the developer withdrew without prejudice. It’s over. You won, leave it be. Why continue to beat a dead horse?
Excuse me, I’m not “beating a dead horse”, my post was in response to “Resident Since ’95”. I didn’t appreciate his nasty tone, so I responded. You have a problem with that?
FYI, I’ve seen worse on here.