The salt piles at Eastern Minerals on Marginal Street will likely remain topped off and higher to the sky than down low and nearer to the ground because of a nearly snowless and ice free winter.
The Chelsea Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) met on Tuesday, March 13th, and after reviewing a proposed project change by Muffin Town on Crescent Avenue, gave the go-ahead for the company to install an outdoor liquid Nitrogen tank.
Muffin Town, 130 Crescent Ave., had originally gained approval last year to expand their operations by adding new freezer space in their parking lot.
Earlier this month, they put in a petition to modify that plan by scrapping the freezer space and adding an outdoor liquid Nitrogen tank instead.
ZBA members determined on Tuesday that the change was only a minor modification and the new plan was approved with some conditions.
Refrigeration is key for the company, and they currently use ammonia for cooling, a chemical that is caustic if released into the air. Muffin Town plans to replace its use of ammonia with liquid Nitrogen. While liquid Nitrogen is a hazardous material, it is much safer for surrounding residents, ZBA officials said, than ammonia.
In other matters on Tuesday:
•A parking lot plan at 280 Washington St. that has lingered in front of the Board for months was finally approved with conditions. The lot will service an apartment building adjacent to it.
•A dentist office was approved for the first floor of a three-decker at 242 Everett Ave. The second and third floors would continue to be dwelling units.
•Market Basket (via Barlo Signs) was approved to put up a second accessory sign for the store at 160 Everett Ave.
•John Scolaro withdrew two requests that would have allowed him to build a second-story for office space on his business’s building at 8 Wesley St.