Westport Select Board approves three Class‑2 auto licenses and a six‑month seasonal trailer permit amid neighbor concerns

The Westport Select Board approved three Class 2 motor‑vehicle licenses and granted a six‑month seasonal trailer permit during its June 22 meeting, moving the matters off the agenda after public hearings and limited debate.

Managers Joan Porz and Paulo Daniel asked the board for a Class 2 license for Westport Automotive Group at 1052 State Road and provided paperwork and a police recommendation; the board voted to approve the application. An AVR Plus dealer, operating as Fast Road Auto Sales at 327 State Road, also won board approval after town staff confirmed the site would be retail‑sales only and the police department submitted a favorable recommendation. A neighbor pressed the board about two large spotlight fixtures that sit in a paper‑street right‑of‑way behind the 327 State Road lot; town staff said the building inspector would inspect and that the issue is likely a private civil matter if it concerns encroachments on an unbuilt paper street.

The board also approved a Class 2 license for Scott’s Auto Center at 620 Sanford Road; abutters told the board they support the applicant but asked that the new operator avoid Route‑6 style flags and signage, a point the applicant’s attorney confirmed.

Separately, the board took up a continued hearing for a six‑month seasonal trailer permit at 95 Mosher Lane, part of the East Beach seasonal trailer program. Neighboring property owners said they were concerned about blocking and a post in a private lane that limits access. Town planner Michael Burus told the board that resolving access and easement disputes often requires deed research and, in some cases, civil proceedings; he said the planning department can help pull historical plans from the registry of deeds. After discussion the board approved the trailer permit but urged the applicant and neighbors to pursue deed records and coordinate with planning and building officials to avoid future conflicts.

All three motor‑vehicle licenses and the trailer permit passed on roll calls, recorded as four in favor, one absent for each vote.

What happens next: Applicants may begin retail operations consistent with the conditions noted (sales only where specified). Neighbors who flagged right‑of‑way or nuisance lighting problems were advised to coordinate with the building inspector and planning department; civil remedies remain the town’s primary recourse for property‑line disputes rather than licensing conditions.