Dear Billy T and Somerville/Medford News Weekly Speakup Line,
Hi Billy,
For the past few years, our neighbor at 36 Roosevelt Road in Medford has been operating an auto repair shop out of their residential garage and driveway. His garage is at the back of his property, which faces Circuit Road. He is using Circuit Road as his parking lot for his clients vehicles that are waiting to be repaired and also washed, as it appears he has hired a woman to clean them after they are serviced. This location is zoned for residential use only, and the use of this property in this way is impacting our community.
The garage has a functioning car lift inside which was originally per the building department to be used for our neighbor’s hobby of fixing his old cars. However, over the past couple of years that has changed into a very lucrative auto repair business. He is now fixing cars five to seven days a week. This has resulted in a very congested area of the street.
Other issues include:
– Increase in traffic coming down the street, often speeding.
– Parking congestion, there are frequently multiple cars on the street in various states of repair.
– Customers coming and going.
– Occasional tow trucks bringing vehicles to his garage.
– Oil stains on the street and trash dumped by his clients.
– Concern for safety, i.e has the garage been inspected by the fire department for safety?
– Where is he dumping waste from the garage?
– That end of the street is blocked on occasion by cars coming out of the garage or parked on the street, which would make it tough for emergency vehicles to get by.
– Is he paying taxes?
– He is probably not ensured to be running a fully functioning auto repair garage.
– Bottom line, he is running a business on a residential street that is part of the Lawrence Estates.
Back in approximately 2022 I contacted city hall and the police, but nothing was done as they said we couldn’t prove he was running a business. Over the last year or so, his business has increased dramatically. He is now working five to seven days a week with more and more cars on the street. As recently as March 12th 2026, I left a message with city hall with zero response.
I also spoke to the building department inspector, Micheal Malerba, and he agreed to look into the issue but told us he did not see a working garage. He also said he spoke with neighbors, who had no complaints about the building. I also recently spoke with the Medford fire department, but they can’t help either as they say the garage is not registered with the city.
There does not appear to be anyone to help us with this situation, I believe our neighbor must have connections with someone at city hall and the police department. Our neighbor is using his property as a full time mechanic shop, which I believe violates local zoning laws, and the city is turning its back on the residents of Circuit Road.
Thank you,
A concerned Circuit Road resident
This isn’t the first complaint I’ve seen concerning this residence. Definitely this property is operating as a business. The rumor is that the owner had connections with someone in the permitting department in Medford government just before they retired who helped him out and now nothing can be done about it but I find that hard to believe. But It is very odd that he’s gotten away with this for so long. Children in the neighborhood are endangered by so many cars coming and going from his business and the noise of cars revving up their engines is horrific even early on Sunday mornings. Big equipment vehicles are parked on the road like earth movers and often for days. They make no effort as a family to be friendly to anyone on street which almost seems subversively intentional. This isn’t a hobby or a club it’s definitely a business operating there. A neighborhood menace.
Leave the guy alone times are tough as it is.sure your the only one complaining about this person maybe this person having a hard time paying bills and stuff u don’t know that .wish I new this person need work two my car lot people can’t afford taking there cars two dealers and mechanic shop he’s helping them out two much going on in the world leave the poor guy alone we all have two make a living need a oil change
Yes I totally agree that he is running a business. We all as neighbors need to work together to continually complain and record cars coming and going. Take pictures of the cars and record their license plates to show that these people do not live on this street. We also can report this situation to the city counsel and state representatives. He needs to get his cars off our street and put them on his street Roosevelt road.