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Automotive Customs owner wins 12-month permit to display three cars amid Warner Road closure
Summary
The Village of Valley View Planning Board approved a 12-month conditional temporary use permit allowing Automotive Customs to display up to three vehicles at 5440 Warner Road after owner Manny McDonald warned a long road closure cut off drive-by visibility.
Manny McDonald, owner of Automotive Customs, won approval from the Village of Valley View Planning Board on Nov. 18 to display up to three cars in front of his shop at 5440 Warner Road under a 12-month conditional temporary use permit.
The permit replaces Mr. McDonald’s request for a variance to Ordinance Section 1254.02(a)(45) after he told the board that the closure of Warner Road has "eliminated" drive-by traffic and that a prior temporary allowance to place six cars in front of the business increased walk-ins and visibility "nearly a thousand percent." Mayor Matthew March and board members agreed a temporary permit tied to the business, rather than a variance that would run with the property, was preferable and would allow the board to reassess the arrangement after one year.
Board members said conditions should limit the visible inventory to three cars in the front and require any additional vehicles to be kept behind the building. Secretary Marty Johnston asked Mr. McDonald to plan attractive plantings in the front planters rather than stone or concrete so the display area does not appear cluttered; Mr. McDonald said he would work on a solution that does not block access or visibility.
Member Joseph White moved to amend the applicant’s request from a variance to a 12-month conditional temporary use permit; Councilwoman Julie Jakubczak seconded. The amendment passed on roll call, with four ayes and one nay (Member Mike Bertovich). The board then voted to approve the conditional temporary use permit by the same 4-1 margin. Mayor Matthew March told Mr. McDonald he must return to the board at the end of the 12-month period to report on how the permit worked and for any possible reassessment.
The meeting also approved the minutes from the Sept. 16 and Oct. 21, 2025 planning board meetings before hearing the public caucus. No other business was discussed; the board adjourned at 5:47 p.m.
What happens next: The conditional temporary use permit runs for 12 months; Mr. McDonald is required to return to the Planning Board at the end of that period for review. If a future owner were to occupy the property, the permit’s temporary conditions would be subject to board review rather than automatically transferring as a variance would.
