Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Auto Business Sup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission grants specific-use permit allowing on-site minor repairs at Balthazar's Auto with parking conditions
Summary
The commission approved a specific-use permit allowing the existing Balthazar's Auto lot to perform minor auto repairs for vehicles to be sold on-site, subject to conditions requiring reduced display inventory to free customer parking, prohibition on right-of-way storage, a certificate of occupancy and proof of disposal services. The owner agreed,
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a specific-use permit Oct. 28 allowing Balthazar's Auto to perform minor, on-site repairs at its existing auto sales lot at 1633 East Main Street, subject to conditions intended to protect parking and the public right-of-way.
Staff said the business has operated at the location since 2016 but the certificate of occupancy covers non-franchise auto sales, not repair operations. Because the owner proposed adding maintenance and minor repair work (oil changes, brake service, limited mechanical work related to preparing vehicles for sale), staff recommended SUP review and identified a parking shortfall under the UDC. Staff recommended conditions including reducing the displayed inventory to 50% of current levels to ensure a minimum number of customer parking spaces (staff said the site's calculated requirement is 9 parking spaces based on inventory), keeping repair parking clear of inventory, restricting repair operations to vehicles intended to be sold on-site (not open to the public for general repairs), prohibiting storage within the public right-of-way (Seventeenth Street), obtaining the proper certificate of occupancy and an auto-related business permit, and providing proof of parts/oil disposal service.
Owner Rodolfo Balthazar Jr. and Adriana Garcia Balthazar spoke in support and said they will operate repairs inside the building, will comply with permit and parking conditions, and have served the location since 2016. Staff said they had been communicating the conditions and would continue to meet with the applicants to finalize compliance items before city council.
Commissioner Frank Gonzales moved to approve the SUP per DRC recommendations; Commissioner Janie Mendez Adakari seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
