City BZA approves car sales on empty lot (09/13/06)

The owner of a vacant lot in Portland on which vehicles for sale have been located for more than a month was granted the proper zoning Thursday to allow the sales to continue.

Tim Johnson, the owner of the property located at the northwest corner of Water and Ship streets, asked for a special exception for the sale of vehicles in an area zoned as central business.

The exception was granted by the Portland Board of Zoning Appeals as long as no more than 20 vehicles are for sale at one time, the area is kept free of junk, and Bob Brown, who has been renting the lot from Johnson to sell the vehicles, acquires an automobile dealer's license. The special exception will be reviewed again in a year.

The stipulations were added after Tom Dolecki, 117 S. Pleasant St., Portland, who lives to the west of the property, voiced concerns.

Dolecki said he was worried the site would be turned into a dealership with 100 vehicles for sale.

"It might be reasonable to put a limit" on the number of vehicles for sale, he said.

Dolecki also said he was worried the lots would have a lot of parts and junk vehicles on it, which has happened in the past when other people have sold cars at that location.

Board member Vicki Tague asked Johnson what he plans to do with the property in the future.

Johnson said he currently has no plans.

Tague said the city zoning ordinance requires parking lots for businesses to be paved.

"I'd hate to do that since I don't know" what will be done with the lots, Johnson said. He would, however, be willing to remove weeds, leaving a stone surface..

Board members did not object to this idea.

After the meeting, Bill Milligan, Jay/Portland Building and Planning administrator, said he did not know how long Brown has been selling vehicles on the lots.[[In-content Ad]]