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Board dismisses renewal for AJ Towing special‑use after neighbors and departments raise enforcement concerns
Summary
The Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals dismissed without prejudice an application by AJ Towing & Auto Care LLC to continue operating a light motor vehicle repair use at 7002 West Center Street after city departments and neighbors presented evidence the site was functioning as a tow yard with repeated code complaints.
The Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals voted to dismiss a contested application by AJ Towing & Auto Care LLC to continue a special‑use for light motor vehicle repair at 7002 West Center Street, after months of complaints from neighbors and negative findings from city departments.
City Department of Public Works testimony said the agency “does not support the proposed light motor vehicle repair facility special use,” citing the applicant’s advertised services and the potential for disruptive uses such as repossession and impoundment. Department of Neighborhood Services told the board the site had a history of verified complaints, fines and reinspection fees for failure to follow prior Board conditions and city code; DNS staff concluded the business was functioning as a tow yard rather than an ordinary repair garage.
Neighbors described frequent tow‑truck activity, long‑term vehicle storage and safety and nuisance impacts on adjacent residential properties. Phil Jones, who lives directly behind the lot, told the board he has tracked tow trucks arriving at night and vehicles that stayed parked for months, saying the use “looks horrible” and had not improved since residents raised concerns a year earlier.
The applicant’s representative asked for an adjournment so the new owner could gather missing permits and respond to department questions, but the owner acknowledged some operational missteps and indicated he had recently cleaned the lot. The board chair warned that if the request were denied the property could not be used for the same automotive purposes for three years, creating a long‑term consequence for neighbors and future operators.
After hearing testimony, the board accepted a motion to dismiss the application without prejudice. The dismissal allows the applicant to refile after addressing the departments’ concerns and cleaning up outstanding code violations but leaves in force DNS’s enforcement authority while the property remains in operation.
What happens next: The applicant may revise the plan of operation, resolve outstanding code violations with DNS, and—if necessary—return to the board with a clarified application. DNS emphasized that enforcement (fines and reinspections) will continue if the site remains in noncompliance.
Votes and outcome: The board voted to dismiss the application without prejudice.
