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Auto dealer retools with smaller project
(by Sue Reid - September 23, 2009)
Auto dealer retools with smaller project
By SUE REID
Solon's planning commission gave unanimous approval last week for a site plan and zoning variances associated with the expansion of the BMW dealership on the Davis Automotive site on Kruse Drive.
City Council also gave its approval Monday and will refer the project to the traffic engineer for review.
It is a scaled-back plan compared to the one approved last year, which would have featured the construction of a new 62,000-square-foot BMW dealership, Jeffrey Davis, president of Davis Automotive Group and Davis Development, said. A changing business climate is the reason, he said, and the new plan will have less impact on the area.
Mr. Davis, along with Al Wangenheim, of Davis Development, and Philip Soroky, a lighting specialist with Ullman Electric, presented the commission with plans for an approximately 4,900-square-foot addition to the north side of the dealership building and an approximately 3,580-square-foot addition to the west side. The purpose of the expansion to the north is to provide expanded internal vehicle drop-off and service space, he said. The changes to the west side of the building are for the purpose of providing an expanded showroom, office and parts storage space.
The site plan also included parking-lot alterations to the west and north of the BMW dealership building as well as a parking-lot expansion to the east of the BMW-Jaguar dealership buildings.
There also would be the creation of a boulevard drive and direct access to SOM Center Road (Route 91) via the Bob Evans driveway. Currently, there is no access to the dealership from SOM Center Road. Under this plan, the business would have SOM Center Road access. Use of this access point was reviewed and approved, subject to certain conditions, as part of the 2008 plan.
Solon Planning Director Robert S. Frankland said that, since the 2008 plan is no longer valid, any conditions placed on the use of the access point must be revisited if they are applied to the new plan.
The commission was in agreement that the conditions placed previously on the plan apply to this current proposal.
The previous plan went before City Council's safety and public properties committee, which placed certain conditions with regard to the access road, mainly that it would be right-turn-out only. The committee had weighed in on Mr. Davis' original proposal because of the intersection at the Bob Evans driveway. Davis Automotive has an easement which it inherited from purchasing the former Days Inn hotel. Days Inn had access to SOM Center Road to the same point that the BMW dealership is requesting access.
Mr. Davis said the no left-turn exiting will remain in place as part of this new plan, and if and when the city puts in the connector road, which would be the road north of Applebee's restaurant, then there will only be a right turn in and out and they will eliminate the left turn in.
Mr. Davis said that as part of the business's last approval, it gave the city a 17.5-foot easement along its easterly property line which they share with another business.
Mr. Davis said he plans to abide by the rules of the safety committee moving forward.
Commission member William M. Mazur asked Mr. Davis about signage to the new entrance.
Mr. Davis said he has not yet come up with an acceptable sign due to the fact that all the manufacturers want their signs separate from one another.
Mr. Wangenheim said all of the building materials would match the existing ones.
Commission member Roger C. Newberry commended Mr. Davis for "rearranging his vision."
Mr. Davis said he has approval to begin the site work this year and plans to begin building in spring 2010.
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