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Cash Now owner seeks Zoning Hearing approval to limit auto-sales lot to 25 vehicles
Summary
Owner Ray Abboud told the Red Lion Planning Commission he wants the lot at 261 E. Broadway to be authorized for up to 25 vehicles for sale; staff said safety improvements and parking compliance would be conditions. The commission lacked a quorum and made no formal recommendation.
Ray Abboud, owner of Cash Now LLC, asked the Zoning Hearing Board to expand the property’s existing special-exception allowance so his auto-sales lot at 261 E. Broadway may hold up to 25 vehicles, the Red Lion Borough Planning Commission heard Aug. 19. The panel could not take formal action or make a recommendation because it was operating without a quorum.
Abboud’s attorney, John Ogden, said a prior 2022 special-exception approval limited the site to 5–10 vehicles; since buying the former Broadway Transmissions property, Abboud shifted more of the business to retail car sales than repairs and wants the larger inventory to reflect that change.
Borough Assistant Manager Michelle Poole told the commission she had visited the site after complaints that large vehicles on the lot obstructed sight lines for motorists on Redco Avenue approaching East Broadway. Poole said sight-distance measurements are about 75 feet from the Redco Avenue center line and 150 feet across East Broadway. Abboud agreed to move larger trucks and vans to rows farther from East Broadway and to park sale vehicles closer to East Broadway to preserve the sight triangle.
Abboud said most vehicles brought in for service do not remain overnight, and that many cars on the lot are owned by him and prepared for resale. He also reported contacting the Pennsylvania State Police; "the Police said there were 0 accidents due to sight restriction," he said. Engineer Eric Johnston produced a small site plan and characterized the intersection as functioning like a yield, but Poole emphasized the Borough ordinance governs sight and right-of-way requirements.
Staff and the applicant also confirmed parking and accessibility counts: the site has seven service bays and meets the requirement of eight spaces for employees and customers (six in the rear, two on the side); the two side spaces are ADA-compliant, according to staff. Michelle Poole said she would be amenable to Abboud’s request for a maximum of 25 vehicles if large vehicles remain outside the sight triangle and right-of-way.
"Ray has met all the specific criteria for the Special Exception, and I see no issue with the application," Atty. Craley said during the meeting. Because the commission lacked a quorum, members present did not vote; they expressed informal support and noted the applicant must seek a formal decision from the Zoning Hearing Board. No hearing date for the Zoning Hearing Board was specified at the commission meeting.
Next steps: Abboud’s application will proceed to the Zoning Hearing Board for a formal decision; Planning Commission members urged compliance with the sight-triangle measures and the borough’s parking and ADA requirements.
