Troy planning commission approves special‑use permit for Drive Line Troy vehicle sales at 33475 De Quindre

The Troy City Planning Commission voted to grant special‑use approval and preliminary site‑plan approval for Drive Line Troy LLC’s proposed used vehicle sales operation at 33475 De Quindre, subject to conditions the commission added to address lighting, landscaping, circulation and trash removal.

Planning staff told the commission the site is roughly 29,000 square feet with an existing 2,000‑square‑foot building. The applicant proposes to reduce the number of parking spaces in front of the building from 11 to five, replace an area of parking with additional landscaping, repave or regrade the rear area with pea gravel, install one new parking lot light, and repaint the building. Staff said the proposal reduces impervious surface and “significantly increases” on‑site landscaping compared with existing conditions, but that several details remained outstanding, including a landscape calculation, a trash‑enclosure plan or explanation of the daily trash removal routine, and a photometric fix to reduce foot‑candles at the northern and southern property lines.

“We are strongly supportive of the reuse of the building and find it a good improvement for the site itself,” planning staff advised, while recommending conditions including reduction of foot‑candles to meet the ordinance, submission of a landscape calculation, replacement of the rear pea stone with grass or equivalent plantings, provision of trash‑enclosure or removal details, one‑way pavement markings and signage, and a sidewalk connection on the north side so pedestrians can access the front door.

Applicants described the intended operating approach. Zaid Erbo of Zaid Design Build said trash generation would be minimal for a small, largely paperless car‑sales operation and asked staff to allow administrative follow‑up on the landscape calculation. Operator Romy Raja explained delivery patterns and site operations: “My name is, Romy Raja. I’m the applicant for this dealership,” Raja said, describing occasional deliveries by two‑car hauler and stating the business will not perform on‑site repairs.

Commissioners questioned stormwater handling, truck deliveries, traffic impacts, vehicle preparation, lighting and circulation. Staff said engineering will review stormwater when the applicant submits final construction documents and that reducing impervious area likely limits new stormwater detention requirements. The applicant committed to reduce light intensity after staff’s photometric review and to provide the requested landscape and signage details.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the special use and preliminary site plan subject to the conditions staff listed and the additional clarifications the commission requested. The motion was seconded. The roll call vote reflected agreement from the commissioners present and the chair announced the motion carried.

What the approval means: The commission’s action grants the special‑use entitlement and preliminary site‑plan approval; the applicant must complete the outstanding items required by staff and the conditions recorded in the motion before obtaining final administrative/site plan sign‑off. The conditions in the motion require the applicant to reduce foot‑candles at the north and south property lines, provide a landscape calculation for the increased planting area, replace the rear pea stone with grass or comparable plantings, add one‑way pavement markings and signage to establish ingress/egress circulation, and provide sidewalk and trash‑enclosure or trash‑removal details for review.

The file is recorded as special‑use application SUJPLN2020Five‑1A. The planning department will track the outstanding items and confirm compliance before issuing final approvals.