Toyota
one step
closer
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Another hurdle is conquered in the quest to bring a Toyota dealership to Putnam.
Recently the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission approved the proposed dealership’s site improvements plan.
The applicant is McGee Automotive Family, Toyota of Hanover (Mass.), and the owner of the parcels on Rt. 44 in East Putnam is Sean & Michael Putnam LLC.
According to its lengthy application permit paperwork: “The site improvements will include a parking lot for customers and for vehicle display. The parking lot will have a storm water management system to treat and mitigate storm water prior to outflow towards the wetlands area. There will be two plunge pool type outlet areas adjacent to the wetlands.”  The area is designated  for commercial/industrial uses.
In the application McGee Toyota said, “no disturbance to wetlands, but work is along 400 feet of wetland edge.” The affected number of acres breakdown includes “site improvement area (upland to wetlands) is 4.19 acres. Site improvement area within 100 feet of wetlands equals 0.96 acres and direct impact to wetlands is zero acres.”
On the site map all of the construction is along Rt. 44. The map says “woods to be undisturbed.”
The property is at 76 and 88 Providence Pike. In November 2021 the former Cormier property was sold to Breault Realty III, LLC, for $535,000. February 2022 Breault Realty III, LLC sold the property to Sean and Michael Putnam, LLC, for $1.335 million, according to town clerk records.
The 12-acre property includes heavy wetlands. According to town records, last August a 1.1-acre parcel next to the original parcel was sold by Salvatore A. Colantino and Carolyn B. Colantino to Sean and Michael Putnam LLC, for $725,000. The second parcel allowed the McGee Automotive Family enough dry land to come up with a workable plan.
Engineers dug several 9-to-10 foot soil test pits on the properties to help formulate a workable plan for the property. General rules call for 1 inch of water, per storm, to filter into the ground. That’s where most of the runoff pollutants are. Then sand/silt filtration.
A proposed plan was approved by the Inland Wetlands Commission. Various other town boards and state departments still lie ahead for McGee.
No one from the McGee organization could be reached for comment.

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