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Amherst County OKs Sandroff Auto Body special exception with paving, screening conditions
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved a special exception allowing Sandroff Auto Body to reopen a vacant building on Amelon Expressway as an automotive repair shop, adding a condition requiring the parking lot be paved and screening, lighting and fire-access conditions be met.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 16 to approve special exception 2025-627, allowing Sandroff Auto Body to convert a long-vacant commercial building at 138 Amelon Expressway into an automotive repair and body shop, subject to conditions set by staff and the board.
Staff told the board they had aesthetic and parking concerns and recommended conditions including fenced screening, landscaping, no outdoor storage beyond 10 consecutive days, placement of a Knox Box for fire access and a change-of-use permit before issuance of a zoning permit. Jason Sandroff, the owner, said the company plans to use modern spray booths, waterborne paint and filtration to limit emissions and to screen the perimeter of the work area. “We try to keep it very presentable, very professional,” Sandroff said.
Board members and nearby residents asked detailed questions about screening type and effectiveness, the species and maturity of proposed plantings, utility lines constraining plantings, potential outdoor storage and fire-access requirements. Staff and the applicant agreed to work through technical details during permitting. One board member proposed an additional condition requiring the parking lot be paved; the board adopted that condition before approving the special exception by voice vote.
Supporters said the applicant has local ties and would rehabilitate a derelict building that has been empty for more than 20 years. Opponents and concerned board members emphasized that details matter for this busy corridor and that screening and landscaping should be adequate to reduce visual impacts. Emmanuel Seawold, Sandroff’s integrator, said the applicant would consider planted screening closer to the sidewalk and use faster-growing species if appropriate.
The approval ties the site to the concept plan presented to staff and requires subsequent building and change-of-use permits; public-safety conditions, including adequate turnaround and a Knox Box, must be met during the building-phase review. The board said staff will work with the applicant to ensure compliance during permit review and inspections.
The motion to approve was made from the board floor and carried by voice vote. The board recorded no roll-call tally in the meeting transcript; the outcome was approval with the added paving condition.
