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Planning commission recommends conditional approval for Subaru dealership at former theater site
Summary
The commission unanimously recommended the Subaru sales-and-service project at the former Green movie-theater site to City Council, subject to final engineering, stormwater and auto-turn approvals, a replat consolidating four parcels, dumpster materials confirmation and enhanced landscaping.
The Green City Planning & Zoning Commission voted Nov. 20 to recommend that City Council approve plans to convert the former movie-theater site into a roughly 37,000-square-foot Subaru sales and service facility, contingent on final engineering and other conditions.
Applicant Tom Floria, managing partner of SARE Auto Park, told the commission the firm purchased the theater property to expand its Subaru franchise and expects new-car inventory and employee parking needs that justified the site's scale and layout. “We purchased obviously the old movie theater in Green and, we were looking to expand our brands and manufacturers,” Floria said, describing the project as a substantial investment in the area.
Architect Shane Burley described the design as a combined sales and service building with showroom glass, ACM metal-pan paneling and landscaping features intended to improve the site's appearance. “The current movie theater kinda sits right through here…What we're proposing is a 20 or 37,000 square foot dealership,” Burley said, adding the design includes customer write-up areas, service bays and parking configured for both sales and inventory.
City staff highlighted outstanding technical requirements: the project requires recording a replat consolidating four parcels, completed stormwater calculations and an auto-turn analysis for car haulers and service trucks. Staff also noted the proposed impervious surface is near the code maximum and recommended added stormwater quality measures if necessary. The staff report recommended conditional approval contingent on final engineering, stormwater calcs and the auto-turn study.
Commission members pressed the applicant on material choices and screening. One commissioner asked the applicant to address the design-review board’s concern about large metal-panel areas (MP1) and to provide more vertical vegetation. Floria said the team will “raise the vegetation” and expand planting areas so the buffer can mature. Staff also asked the applicant to confirm the dumpster enclosure color and masonry details to ensure consistency with the building.
A nearby property owner and car-dealer representative raised concerns about stormwater runoff toward an adjacent restaurant at 1080 Interstate Parkway and about driveway widths for car carriers; Keith Zalewski, the project's civil engineer, said the regional retention basin was sized for the business park and that the auto-turn and truck-size diagrams were included in the resubmittal.
A commission motion laid out conditions for a favorable recommendation: final engineering/site improvement approval, stormwater calculations, auto-turn analysis to satisfy the public-safety and circulation questions, recording of a replat to consolidate parcels, confirmation of dumpster enclosure materials and color, and a more robust landscape buffer along the east elevation and Interstate Parkway frontage. The motion was seconded and passed on roll call.
The recommendation will go to City Council; staff and the applicant said they will return with the final engineering, stormwater details and signage applications as required by code.
