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Planning commission recommends approval for indoor automobile dealership at 1711 North Main Street
Summary
Blacksburg Planning Commission voted to recommend a conditional-use permit allowing Walker Auto Works to operate an indoor, boutique automobile dealership at 1711 North Main Street with conditions including interior-only display, a sign permit, and a carbon-monoxide alarm system.
The Blacksburg Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 25-2, allowing an automobile dealership to operate on the lower level of 1711 North Main Street.
Town staff said the operation proposed by Grant Walker of Walker Auto Works would be a low-impact, indoor-only dealership that stores and sells 10 to 15 imported classic vehicles at a time and conducts minor repair work indoors. The property’s upper level is occupied by Blacksburg Dance Theater Studio, and staff identified the principal potential adverse effect as vehicle exhaust inside the building.
Staff recommended three conditions: that the property be developed in substantial conformance with the application dated July 31, 2025; that no vehicles for sale be displayed or parked outside; and that any new exterior signage be reviewed and approved via a sign permit. Commissioners added a fourth condition during deliberations requiring installation of carbon-monoxide detection/monitoring and alarm systems to protect the dance-studio occupants above the proposed dealership.
During discussion commissioners asked whether the building and proposed operations meet applicable code standards for vehicle storage and internal vehicle operation. Staff said the town’s building official indicated the proposal can meet applicable requirements and that the commission could require monitoring or bring the matter back if adverse impacts are reported. No members of the public offered comment on the application.
The motion to recommend approval, as amended with the additional carbon-monoxide alarm condition, carried unanimously. The commission’s action is a recommendation to the Town Council, which has final authority on the CUP.
The staff report and the commission’s motion emphasize that vehicle loading and transport will occur via secondary locations (large transport trucks will not stage on site) and that all for-sale vehicles will be stored indoors. The permit record will include the July 31, 2025 application as the baseline for substantial conformance.
The matter will next go to Town Council for final action under the town’s CUP procedures.
