Zoning Panel Approves Beer, Wine Sales on Providence St.

Zoning Board · Meeting of August 31, 2026

WORCESTER — The Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals approved beer and wine sales at a Providence Street convenience store and continued two contested housing conversions amid parking and drainage disputes. Operating with only four of five seats filled, the board under Lawrence Abramoff needed unanimous votes and cast eleven 4-0 decisions, including approving a special permit for 88 Providence Street to use 360 square feet of its 1,440-square-foot footprint for beer and wine. Neighbor Joseph Clemmie told the board "parking is astronomical" on Crystal Street, where a petition opposes converting a six-unit building into 12 units near Clark University; the board continued that case and a Perry Avenue lot-split proposal to September 28, pending revised bedroom counts, architectural detail and stormwater plans.

Board member Eric Torkornoo backed the Providence Street store, saying "I know this neighborhood very much." The board also granted extensions to variances for projects on Wildey Avenue and Crompton Street.

In the full story:

• Procedural Preliminaries
• 149 Plantation Street
• Right-of-way adjacent to 692 Millbury Street
• 57 and 63 Perry Avenue
• 18 Crystal Street
• 88 Providence Street
• 3 Wildey Avenue
• 18-20 Crompton Street
• Minutes and Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,689 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of August 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.