Lawrence Trailer owner disputes city attorney ruling; board tables application to March 11

Roger Farah, owner of Lawrence Trailer, appeared before the Lawrence Licensing Board on Feb. 4 to seek renewal of a special permit and to press the board to reinstate or confirm a class‑2 dealer license. Farah repeatedly challenged board comments that a zoning special permit had lapsed, saying he pulled a permit in December 2015 and that he has “paid my taxes. I paid my licenses for the last 10 years.”

Farah opened with an apology and then disputed multiple allegations he said were made about his operation, including an environmental concern and that he built without a permit. "I pulled a permit to build this building back in December 2015," he said, citing city records he said he retrieved. He urged the board to reconsider and said he had repeatedly returned with documentation to rebut earlier claims.

Commissioners and staff — including a staff member identified in the record as Antonio — responded that the city attorney had advised the board that the zoning special permit could lapse after two years if not acted upon, and that license renewals are annual and distinct from a zoning permit. Antonio told the board that, under the code cited at the meeting, a class 1 dealership license requires franchise and facility criteria and that the applicant must follow zoning and licensing rules.

Board members and staff traded repeated challenges about who had contacted the city attorney and what documents had been reviewed. Commissioner Laird said he had been told the city attorney determined the permit had lapsed; Farah replied that he had not contacted the attorney and that he had paid licensing fees and taxes for a decade. The exchange became heated; at one point a commissioner said, "I've heard enough of you, Dwight," and Farah responded that he would remain and continue to seek resolution.

After extended discussion and competing assertions about zoning and licensing requirements, a motion was made and seconded to table Lawrence Trailer’s application to the March 11 meeting so the applicant and staff could pursue zoning confirmation and any necessary paperwork. The board recorded the motion and the item was tabled to March 11, 2026.

Next steps: the board asked Farah to pursue zoning confirmation (including obtaining written correspondence if zoning will approve a class‑2 license) and to return with any additional documentation at the March 11 hearing. The board’s acceptance of the city attorney’s view on permit lapse was the controlling procedural posture at this meeting; the substantive dispute remains unresolved pending the next hearing.