Somerset car dealership lands variance to continue operating

SOMERSET – A Somerset Township used car dealership received the variance needed to continue operating his business on North Center Avenue.

And separately, an auto parts chain seeking to set up shop on the same avenue’s 1400 block was given a 30-day window to acquire approvals needed to move its project forward.

The first variance appears to bring closure to a multi-year dispute related to the development of Terry’s Auto Sales.

The car lot’s owner, Brad McCoy, built his North Center Avenue building more than 15 feet closer to an adjacent property than Somerset County officials permitted during the original planning process.

The $875,000 project was completed three years ago, but McCoy has never been issued an occupancy permit because the dealership building was moved closer to the boundary with a nearby Sheetz than the county permits.

The Somerset County Zoning Board spent two months gathering information, first in May and again June 15, before voting to grant the variance with several conditions.

First, Terry’s Auto’s ownership must repay the county for all costs related to enforce county regulations, including the price tag for a land survey zoning officials acquired to show the site was built inside the setback area, Zoning Officer Chadd Sines said.

He said the fact the property’s closest neighbor, Sheetz, had no issues with the dealership’s proximity to its property, worked in McCoy’s favor.

“They got a waiver from Sheetz that allowed them to move it,” he said, noting the topic wouldn’t have been an issue if McCoy’s group sought and acquired approval from the county as well to relocate the development.

Sines, who also serves as the county planning commission director, noted McCoy presented evidence that errors by his professional engineer played a significant role in the issue – and that McCoy was simply following advice he was told was correct.

Moving forward, McCoy agreed that he cannot modify the building in any way on the side of the structure that was built within the setback area, Sines said.

His engineer must file for a certificate of completion that, once reviewed, will enable the business to receive a formal occupancy permit to conduct business, Sines added.

O’Reilly’s Auto Parts proposal OK’d

Plans to open a 7,150-square-foot O’Reilly Auto Parts store received a county variance as well.

But the company’s engineers have a 30-day window to get approvals from two neighboring properties to enable the project to move forward.

“The board granted the company the approval, but they must obtain waivers from (adjacent residential properties) in the next 30 days,” Sines said.

County guidelines require a 10-foot setback from a rear alley the development would border.

The development would be placed six feet from the alley, as planned.

in their argument to the board in May, O’Reilly engineers pointed out that they would be removing a preexisting structure that is even closer to the alley.

Sines said that if the property is developed for the auto parts store, a series of trees would have to be planted near the property’s borders.

David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TDDavidHurst.