GILL — To search for potential Native American burial grounds at the site of a proposed gas station expansion and convenience store, the Massachusetts Historical Commission is asking that an archaeological survey be executed on a Route 2 property.
While the project area is within the Riverside Archaeological District, near where artifacts have been unearthed in the past, several residents at a public hearing on Tuesday night pointed out that this would be far from the first time that this project site has been dug up and there is little evidence of there being any undisturbed Native American remains.
The project would include removing soil to level the property, which would bring down a hill on the land by 6 to 7 feet before building a 4,000-square-foot convenience store and rebuilding the gas station.
On Monday, the Massachusetts Historical Commission sent a letter to the property owner stating that because the site is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places and could contain multiple ancient Native American archaeological sites, including human burial grounds, the commission is requesting a survey to determine what artifacts, if any, are buried under the soil.
“That’s all been excavated, over and over,” said Gill resident Christine Kovalchick, a part-time worker at the Mobile gas station.
“That station as-is is not an attribute to Gill. … It’s in disrepair, it’s an eyesore to Gill,” Kovalchick said, explaining that the station has issues with water drainage that would be remediated with the planned expansion.
While a letter from Brona Simon, State Historic Preservation Officer, said that the area is of “high” archaeological significance, members of the Zoning Board of Appeals agreed with the residents at the meeting who were in favor of moving forward with the project.
There were no members of the audience who opposed the construction.
“As we know, there has been a fueling station there for many decades, so we know that the earth is disturbed,” said Suzanne Smiley, chairwoman of the zoning board.
One resident suggested that the new convenience store would not only keep the gas station economically feasible, but would add to the tax rolls in Gill.
Developers expect store business to account for about 66 percent of profits, according to property owner Tom Frawley, president of Summit Distributing, a petroleum distribution company based out of Lebanon, N.H. The developers hope to start construction within months.
Last week, members of the Zoning Board of Appeals conducted a walk-through on the property. “We felt as a board it was our responsibility to put our feet on the ground and see it,” said Smiley.
The Zoning Board of Appeals will continue discussion on the project on June 14 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
You can reach Lisa Spear at:
lspear@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 280