BZA approves pair of use on review requests
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During the City of Morristown’s Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held Tuesday, one of the two agenda items approved by the body prompted discussions of neighborhood aesthetics.
City planners received a request to operate an automobile transmission shop at 1028 West Main Street, which is located just west of High Street, facing the Norfolk-Southern railroad and the Morristown Ford car dealership.
The one-quarter acre lot is zoned ‘‘intermediate business,’’ a classification which requires all automobile repair shops be approved by the city BZA, along with the site plan.
Site plans are required to show that all vehicle storage areas will be screened from public view.
Access to the site is from West Main Street, with customer parking in the front and vehicle storage to the rear of the lot.
The lot, along with others in the vicinity, back up to business properties along West 1st North Street.
There is a residential property adjoining the property on the eastern side, which means the owners of the proposed shop will be required to plant Evergreen screening along the property line.
As part of the ‘‘Use on Review’’ process, a letter will be required from Morristown Utilities stating sewer and water regulations for treatment have been met.
“This request is only for a transmission shop, not any other type of vehicular business,” Senior Planner Lori Matthews told BZA members.
After the motion and second for a vote was obtained by Chair Ventrus Norfolk, concerns were voiced by an owner of properties in the vicinity of the proposed shop regarding the potential for unrepaired cars to be sitting on the lot.
The previous property owners had left cars sitting out front that had their front ends removed.
Eli Lane, who will be operating the transmission shop, told BZA members there will be sheeting installed on a fence to block the view from the street.
“We won’t try to leave vehicles sitting there all the time,” Lane said. “If we can’t repair them, we’ll send them somewhere else. We’re not going to have the lot covered with vehicles. We will not be there at night working.”
He added that no exhaust fumes will be produced and the work will be completed inside the building.
BZA member Jack Kennerly asked Matthews if all the requirements had been met for the Use on Review. She stated that a fence upgrade would be necessary, to bring it up to the six-foot height requirement.
“Is there a certain amount of time they have to come into compliance?” BZA Member and Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney asked.
“They are really supposed to be in compliance before they get a Zoning Approval Letter, which is needed to get a business license. They will be required as well to plant the trees alongside the neighboring house,” Matthews said.
The business formerly occupying the property was described during discussions as a “car rescue,” and Chesney confirmed with the commenter that his concerns were mainly focuses on appearance.
Chesney addressed Lane: “So you’re saying what his concerns are, you will address those concerns.”
“There will be no cars out front,” Lane said.
Property owner Fredrico DeLuzio told BZA members there would be no tow trucks on the property.
“Every car that is going to be going inside the garage will be sitting in the garage; they are not going to be sitting out on the lot,” DeLuzio said. “This shop will specifically tailor to one or two cars at a time, so the concerns by the gentleman of it being flooded with cars is not an issue.”
The second Use on Review approval was for construction of an oil changing business at 1311 S. Cumberland, located adjacent to the Grovewood Residential development off Hess Drive, also zoned intermediate business.
The requirements for the 6-bay 3,000-square foot building include a minimum 20-foot vegetative buffer along the property line bordering the residential district (Grovewood) to the west.
“Having received the site plan, staff is comfortable that it will be in compliance with our regulations and we would ask that this request be approved,” Matthews said.

