The Fate of the U-Hauls

It was expected that at tonight's Zoning Board of Appeals meeting a decision would be made about granting or denying Selha Graham-Cora's request for a use variance to operate a U-Haul rental office out of the laundromat at 453 State Street. The ZBA held a public hearing in August but made no decision at that time because they were without legal counsel. City attorney Cheryl Roberts had to recuse herself because she had at one time represented the owners of the building. At the ZBA's September meeting, substitute counsel Daniel Tuczinski advised that the property already had a use variance for the laundromat and requests for use variances had to come from the owner of a property. Graham-Cora rents the laundromat space. After the September meeting, it seemed unlikely that the ZBA could grant the new use variance, and this afternoon ZBA chair Lisa Kenneally announced that tonight's ZBA meeting had been cancelled because the application for a use variance had been withdrawn.