Greenburgh could see more Central Avenue car dealerships

Curry Chevrolet is one of three car dealerships on Central Avenue in Greenburgh. An amendment to the town”™s zoning laws would allow special permits to be given to new dealerships wanting to open on the avenue.

There are three car dealerships on Central Avenue in Greenburgh, but there could be more coming if the Town Board approves an amendment to the town”™s zoning code.

The town code prohibits building car dealerships in the Central Avenue mixed-use impact district. In that section of Greenburgh, three car dealerships ”“ Curry Acura, Curry Chevrolet and Scarsdale Ford ”“ are on Central Avenue. Those dealerships are grandfathered, having been around since before the mixed-use impact district was established in 1976.

An amendment that was scheduled to be considered at the Oct. 22 Town Board meeting would amend the zoning code to allow the issuance of special permits to businesses to sell motor vehicles on Central Avenue. Town Supervisor Paul Feiner told the Business Journal in an email that the amendment would be referred to the Planning Board and the Comprehensive Plan Committee and could possibly be approved by the end of the year or early 2015.

“I think there”™s a good chance it will be approved,” Feiner said in a phone interview.

Bob Carinci, the chief operations officer of Curry Automotive, which operates Curry Acura and Curry Chevrolet, said his company is in favor of the amendment to the zoning code.

“We”™re trying to have our zoning changed so we can do some renovations,” Carinci said. “Right now, we technically aren”™t an approved use, since they made that change in the 1970s.”

The amendment to section 285-29.1 of the town code would require that motor vehicle sales lots be at least 20,000 square feet, screened from view of adjoining residential areas and that the buildings be no more than 30 feet high. All repair work would have to be done in a totally enclosed building, and the storage of vehicles outdoors would be limited to new cars for sale and used cars acquired as trade-ins or purchases.

Applications for a special-use permit would have to be submitted to the Department of Community Development and Conservation and would require a public hearing before the Town Board within 62 days.

“This should generate competition,” Feiner said. “It will also produce tax revenue for the schools. I see this as having very few disadvantages.”

Feiner said he believes the amendment would also help revitalize the Central Avenue corridor.

“It”™s important not to have vacant stores and vacant parcels,” he said. “It”™s easier to fill the shopping district and find replacements when people are coming there.”