TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Ordinance Approving a Special Use Permit to Allow a Used Specialty Car Dealership With a Specialty Car Museum as an Accessory Use, Located at 201 McDonald Avenue.
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BACKGROUND:
Mr. Glenn Reyes, on behalf of his company Specialty Projects Inc, is requesting a Special Use Permit to allow a used specialty vehicle dealership with a specialty vehicle museum as an accessory use at 201 McDonald Avenue. The property has an I-1 (Light Industrial) zoning designation. Per Section 47-14.3(D) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, used vehicle dealerships require Special Use Permit approval in the I-1 (Light Industrial) zoning district.
Specialty Projects Inc. purchased the property in March 2024. The property is approximately 2 acres in size and contains an existing 22,500 square foot multi-tenant building, large asphalt parking lot, and onsite stormwater detention.
Specialty Projects Inc. operates a wholesale specialty vehicle parts business as well as buys new vehicles and then outfits them with specialty hardware and products as part of their branding and marketing of their business. The company requests approval of this special use permit for used car sales so that they can sell these specialty vehicles when they are done with their marketing and branding operations. Examples of these specialty, high-end vehicles are included with this staff report packet. The petitioner stated that majority of these specialty vehicles retail for over $100,000. The business website also provides information and images that describe the business operations. www.spi7.com
The company currently occupies two of the five tenant spaces in the building that they own. One of the units will continue to contain their wholesale operations as well as their service bays for their specialty product and part installation work. The second unit will be where they have their sales showroom and specialty vehicle museum. They intend to also display around six specialty vehicles in the parking spaces closest to the property’s entrance. Their proposed hours of operations are 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M Mondays through Fridays or by appointment. The company has three employees.
Specialty Projects intends to make improvements to the property which include sealcoating and striping the parking lot and installing landscaping as well as painting and detailing the front façade of the building with windows.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING:
The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on this matter on April 18, 2024. Mr. Glenn Reyes, property owner and petitioner, represented the petition. Mr. Reyes explained the concept of his proposed business. No one appeared in opposition to the request. Minutes of the meeting are attached hereto.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS:
recommendation
Ralph Bias motioned that the Zoning Board of Appeals recommend approval of the Special Use Permit request to allow a used specialty car dealership with a specialty car museum as an accessory use, located at 201 McDonald Avenue subject to the following conditions.
1. That the business shall be registered with the City Clerk’s Office.
2. All vehicles that are to be serviced for maintenance work be parked inside the subject property’s main building.
3. Should the property be declared a public nuisance, it shall be subject to a rehearing and a possible revocation of the Special Use Permit.
4. That the Special Uses granted shall herein terminate and lapse unless a building permit or certificate of occupancy is obtained not later than 180 days of the effective date of this ordinance and the erection or alteration of a building is started, or the use is commenced within such period. The Board may grant an extension of this period, valid for no more than one hundred and eighty (180) additional days, upon written application and good cause shown without notice or hearing. Whether or not there is an intention to abandon the Special Uses, if any special use is discontinued for a continuous period of one year, or if an intent to abandon the Special Use is evident in a shorter period of time, the Special Use for such use shall become void, and such use shall not thereafter be reestablished unless a new Special Use Permit is obtained.
Vincent Alessio seconded the motion, which passed with five aye votes. Voting aye were: Hennessy, Nachtrieb, Bias, Alessio, and Roehr. Commissioner Riggs was absent.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
The Administration concurs with the Zoning Board of Appeals and recommends the Mayor and City Council adopt an Ordinance approving the Special Use Permit to allow a used specialty car dealership with a specialty car museum as an accessory use, located at 201 McDonald Avenue, subject to the same conditions approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals above.
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