By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Herb Chambers Companies’ two automotive dealerships on Route 1 North officially have a new owner.
The Select Board recently approved applications for Class 1 motor vehicle licenses for Asbury Automotive Group for the Mercedes-Benz dealership, 385 Broadway, and the Cadillac dealership, 395-433 Broadway.
Georgia-based Asbury Automotive Group, which is one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the United States, signed a definitive agreement to purchase various dealerships owned by Herb Chambers Companies (HCC) this past winter. The purchase totaled $1.34 billion.
“Asbury Automotive is a publicly traded national automobile dealership ownership company,” said Attorney Greg Paonessa. “They buy large automobile dealership groups around the country and they operate them typically under their then given name. Herb Chambers is selling all but one of his dealerships. Asbury Automotive is the entity that is purchasing Herb Chambers’ dealership group.”
Paonessa said Asbury Automotive Group is purchasing 47 Herb Chambers dealerships and three collision centers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“Asbury has done this throughout the country,” said Paonessa. “They own over 200 dealerships and 37 collision centers. They operate them through an entity in Georgia. They do this by purchasing the local dealerships and keeping the operations essentially the same. They have the same employees and retain a lot of the upper management. They retain local persons like myself to obtain the licensure and they operate under state guidelines. Asbury is purchasing the Mercedes and Cadillac stores on Route 1.”
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford said Asbury is a “well-financed public company.”
“They certainly have a good reputation in the business,” said Crawford. “Hopefully it will be a smooth transition.”
Select Board Vice Chair Alexis Leahy noted that Paonessa is “probably going to a lot of towns because of the sheer volume of the amount of dealerships.”
Paonessa said Asbury Automotive Group will be requesting Class 1 motor vehicle licenses from 21 municipalities.
Select Board member Dick Dalton said he has followed the Asbury Automotive Group’s purchase of the Herb Chambers dealerships with “great interest.”
Then-Assistant Town Administrator Bob Curtin, who is still working part-time for the town, said he told Paonessa during the application process that abutters have expressed concerns about “the operation of the lighting in the parking lot and the ban on unloading cars on Route 1.”
Paonessa said vehicles will be loaded and unloaded from car carriers at both dealerships.
“There is no intention to change the lighting schedule,” said Paonessa.
After the discussion, the Select Board approved the Class 1 motor vehicle license requests for the Mercedes-Benz dealership and the Cadillac dealership.
The Mercedes-Benz’s dealership name has changed from Flagship Motorcars of Lynnfield to Mercedes-Benz of Lynnfield. Herb Chambers’ Cadillac of Lynnfield’s name is not being changed.
“We’re excited to bring Asbury and the Herb Chambers team together,” said Asbury Automotive Group President/CEO David Hult in a recent press release that announced the HCC purchase. “Herb is an icon in Boston, and he has built a world class organization, with a strong reputation for serving his guests and being highly engaged in the communities. HCC is a respected brand with a rich history and reputation for having a customer and team member-focused culture, aligning directly with Asbury’s North Star to become the most guest-centric automotive retailer.”
Chambers agreed.
“As I look back on the last 40 years in business, I do so with immense pride, and as I look forward, I will do so with great satisfaction knowing what we built together will be in trusted hands,” said Chambers, who served as principal of the Herb Chambers Companies. “David Hult and the Asbury Automotive Group share our customer-focused philosophy which will remain as the foundation from which they move our great company into the future.”
Porsche facility on hold
In the wake of Asbury Automotive Group purchasing Herb Chambers Companies’ dealerships, the company has paused plans to construct a Porsche Service Station at 433-451 Broadway, which is where Donovan’s Liquors is currently located.
Planning and Conservation Director Emilie Cademartori informed the Villager that an Asbury Automotive Group attorney requested that both the Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals pause public hearings on the Porsche project until October. Herb Chambers was requesting an Order of Conditions from the ConCom and Site Plan Approval from the ZBA.
“It was in the middle of a peer review for the Conservation Commission, which has been paused,” said Cademartori.
As currently proposed, the Porsche Service Station will contain 12 service bays, washing stations, a parts department and spaces for employees and customers. The facility would have 149 parking spaces, 74 of which would be for the service station and 75 spaces would be for vehicle storage.
The Donovan’s Liquor property at 433-451 Broadway is not included as part of the MBTA Communities law’s overlay zoning subdistricts that the 2024 Fall Town Meeting approved.
Three locations that have overlay districts placed on them are MarketStreet Apartments, Michael’s Landing and Lynnfield Commons, which the MBTA Zoning Committee selected because those apartment complexes have already been built.
Additionally, four other parcels located on an existing Herb Chambers dealership property and one parcel on a Kelly Automotive dealership property are included as part of the Route 1 North subdistrict along with Lynnfield Commons.