By ADAM SWIFT
LYNNFIELD — Demolition at the former Perley Burrill site, once one of the oldest gas stations in the country, is scheduled to begin next week.
For the past decade a tangle of mortgage holders and back taxes have slowed the cleanup and development of the dilapidated parcel.
After it was taken by tax title last year, the property is in town hands, helping clear the way for development.
“Once the buildings are down, (the town) will make the property available,” said Town Administrator James Boudreau. “Right now, it is a hazard the way it is and we just need to get it down.”
The work slated to begin Monday includes the demolition of the buildings located on the right side of the lot as seen from Salem Street.
The buildings will be demolished in accordance with an asbestos abatement plan developed by an environmental engineering firm hired by the town and the state. The debris from the demolition will be disposed of at an offsite location, with the project expected to take seven to 10 days to complete.
Last year, one of the mortgage holders on the property, local resident Michael Merullo, proposed a plan for a four-house subdivision on the land.
Boudreau said Merullo will be able to bid on the former gas station property once the cleanup is done and the land is put up for sale.