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BZA gives auto-repair site on Lankford Highway 90 days to cut unregistered vehicles
Summary
The Accomack County Board of Zoning Appeals gave the owner of an auto-repair site at 19405 Lankford Highway 90 days to reduce unregistered/unlicensed vehicles to five or face revocation of the special-use permit, citing site-visit findings of oil leaks and exposed engine parts.
The Accomack County Board of Zoning Appeals voted to give the owner of a permitted auto-repair operation at 19405 Lankford Highway 90 days to come into compliance with special-use conditions or face revocation.
Cindy, a county zoning staff member, told the board that a recent site visit turned up about 85 vehicles on the parcel, many without current license plates and with exposed engines and other parts. "As of a recent site visit, there were 85 unregistered and unlicensed vehicles, engines, transmissions, and other components, making them junk vehicles," Cindy said, and noted oil and other fluids were observed seeping into the ground. Staff recommended rescission of SUSE-000417-2022 or a continuance to allow remediation.
The applicant, identified in the record as Wells Gabor, said work on a privacy fence was completed and that the total number of vehicles on site had fallen to about 40, with roughly 36 having registration documents. "We have finished the fence ... 36 of them are registered and we have the paperwork to prove that," Gabor said, and asked for time to provide documentation and further reduce visible cars.
Board members and staff discussed how the 2022 permit conditions read: the fence must be completed and maintained, unlicensed vehicles not being immediately repaired shall be kept in the garage or fenced area, and no more than five unlicensed vehicles may be stored on the parcel. Code enforcement clarified that expired tags are not the same as current registration in Virginia and that vehicles that cannot be inspected or rolled may be classified as junk.
Member Lynn Gail moved — and Tracy Millhorn seconded — a motion that the permit remain in force only if the owner reduced the number of unregistered/unlicensed vehicles to five or fewer within 90 days; otherwise the board will revoke SUSE-000417-2022. The motion carried by voice vote. Staff said compliance requires registration with DMV and valid plates/tags or removal of vehicles and that the board will revisit the case after the 90-day period.
