Car lot eyes rezoning to ease tenant search

by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
   The Township Council introduced an ordinance on Tuesday designed to make it easier for Dayton Toyota to make use of a vacant building on its site.
   The rezoning was requested by the dealership to allow for the leasing of unused space in an existing building. The structure was formerly the showroom for Dayton Ford, which closed after the business was purchased by current owner Dave Nappa.
   Mr. Nappa said he closed the Ford dealership because he already owns another Ford dealership in Wayne, but the Toyota dealership has been successful and will remain open.
   The dealership was operating under a use variance because the lot it sits on was in the office-research zone, which does not allow for commercial businesses. The lot has been changed to a designation of C-3, a commercial zone, which Mr. Nappa says is consistent with its current use.
   ”It should have been rezoned a long time ago,” Mr. Nappa said.
   The owner says he requested the rezoning because he could not get prospective tenants to “even look” at his property under the OR zoning.
   According to Mr. Nappa, the building has been 80 percent unused since June, with the rear 20 percent being used as a certified collision center for Toyotas.
   Mr. Nappa says he will be careful to lease the building to a business that will not “interfere with the neighborhood and will not interfere with the car dealership.”
   He says one prospective tenant is a health club.
   Mr. Nappa says he does not know when the vacant space will be leased, but he hope it will be soon.
   An analysis done by Township Planner Craig Marshall, recommending that the council rezone the property to C-3, led to the introduction of the ordinance an Tuesday’s meeting, according Mayor Frank Gambatese.
   ”Office/Research is really not an appropriate zoning for a major highway,” Mayor Gambatese said Wednesday.
   A public hearing and vote on adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for Jan. 22.