The applicant (Kevin & Debbie Fernandes — who do not reside at the subject property) proposed to remove existing vegetation and trees and build a 4,300-gross-square-foot house with a three-car garage and outside parking for an additional 4 cars plus guests on a 40-foot flag lot — the narrowest lot on all of Andover Street — hidden behind the existing home in the Andover Street Historic District.

The applicant originally filed under the name Geodon Developers, Inc., a development corporation. On September 17, 2026, the City of Lowell provided initial written feedback on the application which indicated that the project also requires approval from the Historic Board (Major Historic Permit) and the Zoning Board of Appeals (Variance for lot width) — two additional boards beyond the Planning Board. The Lowell Fire Department also stated in that review that the proposed driveway "DOES NOT MEET the minimum width of the fire department access road" and "rejects the plans as built." Despite all of this being available, when the applicant's attorney filed an amended application on September 24 — after this petition gained over 250 signatures — the only change made was to remove Geodon Developers, Inc. from the filing. Every other field in the application — lot dimensions, building area, project cost, and requested relief — is identical to the original. The unchecked boxes for Historic Board and ZBA Variance remain unchecked. The Fire Department's concerns remain unaddressed. When given the opportunity to correct the application, the applicant corrected only the optics.

This is not the first time. In 2013, a developer tried the same thing at 658 Andover Street. The neighborhood opposed it, and the developer walked away. It was never refiled. We stopped it before — we can stop it again.

The Historic Board's own rules say the proposed build doesn't belong here. The Lowell Historic Board's Neighborhood District Design Review Standards require that new construction "must relate to the street" (§3.102) and that "large trees and other site features must be protected" (§3.104). A house hidden 186 feet behind another home, reached by a narrow driveway, does not "relate to the street." And cutting down decades-old trees to replace them with 2-inch saplings does not "protect" anything.

Here's what the applicant didn't submit: No fire access review for the driveway — and the Lowell Fire Department's staff review has already stated the project "DOES NOT MEET the minimum width of the fire department access road" and "rejects the plans as built." No traffic study. No stormwater or drainage plan. No current water table level and impact study. No tree inventory. No lighting impact analysis. No high-use driveway noise analysis. Nothing. The Planning Board is required to make findings on six criteria — and the applicant gave them zero evidence to base those findings on.

Here's what they did submit: A plan to create a lot type that has never existed on Andover Street under the current zoning standards. Out of 497 recorded survey plans we reviewed across 12 streets in our zoning district, not a single building lot has frontage at or below 40 feet. Only one 40-foot lot has ever been approved in the 21-year history of this zoning provision — and that was for a homeowner, not a developer, where the parent lot stayed conforming. This would be the first where the original lot is made nonconforming by the split. Justifying Lot 1 with reduced frontage by comparing to other neighborhood properties built 80–120 years ago is not the standard that should be used to justify Lot 2 under today's zoning code.

To be clear: this project requires approval from three separate boards — the Planning Board, the Historic Board, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The applicant's amended form acknowledges only one.

What's at stake:

• Decades-old trees replaced with 2-inch saplings that won't provide shade for 15–25 years
• New exterior lighting visible to the back bedrooms and homes of neighboring properties every night, permanently
• The coming and going of multiple cars with additional guest vehicles — headlights shining and car noise into the back bedrooms and homes of neighbors
• Construction starting as early as 7 AM, continuing into evenings and weekends, for 8–12 months
• A driveway that the Fire Department says does not meet code — with no evidence that emergency vehicles can reach the rear dwelling and no protection for neighboring homes from fires the fire department can't reach
• A precedent that turns every large lot on Andover Street, Douglas Road, Garden Road, Clark Road, and throughout Belvidere into a target for the same treatment

Even if the applicant were to address every missing study listed above, we would still oppose this application. The fundamental problem is the creation of a 40-foot flag lot in a neighborhood and Historic District where nothing like it has ever existed under the current standards. No amount of engineering studies changes the fact that this development is incompatible with the character of our community. The proposed Lot 2 currently serves as a natural drainage area for runoff water, and disrupting it would exacerbate existing flooding concerns during storms and rising water table events.

The property was purchased in January 2025 for $618,000 from a listing marketed as a "development opportunity." The applicants do not reside at the subject property. Rather than publish the applicants' home address in this public forum, we are opting to be on the cautious side; however, for continued transparency, the full details of the project can be found on the City of Lowell's website at lowellma.gov/DocumentCenter/Index/3947. Destroying this heritage for a short-sighted project risks losing the very essence that makes our neighborhood special. This is not just about preserving history — it's about ensuring a livable community for future generations.

We call on the Lowell Planning Board and the Lowell Historic Board to DENY the Special Permit, Zoning Variance, and Major Historic Permit applications for 675 Andover Street.

All public application materials, including the original and amended filings, are available at: lowellma.gov/DocumentCenter/Index/3947

How to make your voice heard beyond this petition: Email the Planning Board directly — every email becomes part of the permanent record:

1.  mbrundage@lowellma.gov
2.  dricker@lowellma.gov
3.  pcutrumbes@lowellma.gov

Contact the Historic Board: 

1. sstowell@lowellma.gov 
2. DRicker@lowellma.gov

Hearing: Monday, November 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM — Lowell City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street

A final note: this petition has never been, and will never be, a campaign that attacks individuals in our community. The applicants are our neighbors, and they will be our neighbors regardless of the outcome. We oppose this project because the facts support that position — not out of animosity toward anyone. We believe in constructive communication, community involvement, and letting the proper boards make informed decisions. That's why we show up, that's why we sign, and that's why we'll be at City Hall on November 2nd.