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Greene County OKs auto‑repair special use permit with limits after heated neighbor opposition
Summary
After extended public comment from nearby residents, the Greene County Board of Supervisors approved a special‑use permit for a home auto‑repair business but removed vehicle‑sales authorization and set strict limits on vehicles, hours and noise mitigation in a 4–1 vote.
The Greene County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a special‑use permit for a home‑based vehicle repair business on Ford Avenue but removed the request to allow vehicle sales and imposed new limits after lengthy public comment from neighbors who said the operation does not fit the rural residential area.
The board’s revised motion — adopted by roll call — caps the business at a one‑story, 1,500‑square‑foot garage; restricts business use to no more than two bays; limits vehicles associated with the business to six total (two stored inside, four outside and screened within the fenced area); sets operating hours to 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday with no weekend activity; prohibits road signage; and requires full‑cutoff downward‑facing outdoor lighting and continued maintenance of screening trees and the privacy fence.
The vote was contentious. Several neighbors urged denial, saying the building (which was constructed prior to approval of the SUP) and the proposed uses alter the character of the R‑1 neighborhood and will harm property values. Kimberly Berglund said the application followed a pattern of "build first. Ask for forgiveness later," and argued the site belongs in a commercial corridor rather than Little Mountain Estates.
Several adjacent homeowners cited noise and proximity concerns. Dave Brunell, a bordering property owner, told the board the proposal "violates seven parts of the zoning ordinance" and noted that special‑use permits "stay with the property forever," which, he said, could permanently change the neighborhood.
The applicant told the board he had "met all the impacts 100%" and called the neighbors’ claims "completely false," arguing the building, the fence and planting buffer already help mitigate impacts.
County staff reviewed agency comments and said the planning commission had recommended approval with conditions intended to reduce impacts (size limit, bay limits, caps on vehicles for repair and sale, hours, lighting and screening). During the supervisors’ discussion, board members focused on enforceable mitigation measures for noise (including enclosing or muffling an air compressor) and on removing vehicle‑sales permissions.
Supervisor [roll‑call] results recorded on the motion show a 4–1 approval (one recorded no vote). The board instructed staff to prepare the final conditions and the permit document consistent with the motion.
The permit approved by the board is SUP No. 25‑003 (as cited during the motion). Any future changes to the use would require further board action under Greene County zoning procedures.
What’s next: staff will finalize permit language and compliance conditions and return the permit to the county records; enforcement of the new limits will be handled under the zoning ordinance and any reported violations will be processed per county code.
