City deals with spate of plans to sell used vehicles

Three requests to allow the sale of used vehicles on Port Washington properties have been considered by city officials in the past several months.

Each of the requests has been different, as have officials’ responses.

The Common Council is expected to hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, on a request from Muhamed Abdiu for a conditional use permit for the proposed Port Washington Auto Sales at the corner of Wisconsin Street and Whitefish Road — the site of the former Peiffer Auto Services Inc.

The Plan Commission recommended that the request not be approved, saying Abdiu has not addressed its concerns about his plan. 

Many of those concerns center around the need for a landscaped buffer around the property to shield the operation from neighboring properties.

This, they said, is especially important since the property is in the middle of a largely residential area.

A request by Lindems Automotive at 702 W. Grand Ave. to be allowed to sell used vehicles from its lot was approved with conditions by the Plan Commission last month.

Owner Anna Lindems told the Plan Commission that the company wants to transfer its online car sales from its Milwaukee location to the Port Washington site, but to obtain a license from the Department of Transportation it must have a display area.

“The main activity is still repairs,” she said.

In Milwaukee, she said, only 10% of the business is car sales, and the volume in Port will also be “very small. You won’t even  notice it.” 

Lindems asked the city to allow the business to display three sale vehicles at the front of their property, something members said could be problematic.

Not only would this encroach on the setback, it could also be an eyesore, members said.

Commission member Eric Ryer said that allowing three vehicles may make it difficult for other customers to access the small lot.

Ultimately, the commission agreed to allow the business to conduct online used car sales and to keep two vehicles on the far west end of its property.

“This is not your traditional car lot,” commission member Mike Ehrlich noted. “The sales are done online.”

The Plan Commission last week recommended the city amend its zoning code to allow used vehicle sales in the industrial park.

Maritime Enterprises is seeking a used vehicle license for its operation at 1112 Bywater Dr. in order to sell vehicles that are stored at the facility but whose owners either abandon them or don’t want to keep them, Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, said.

“I don’t think it’s anyone’s desire to set up a used car dealership in the industrial park,” Harris said.

Business owner Philippe Hevesy agreed, saying, “I have no desire to open a used-car lot. I’m not a used-car salesman.”

The primary use, he said, is to dispose of vehicles abandoned on his property.

Commission members were sympathetic but said they need to take care that they aren’t opening the door to car lots.

“How do we write their promises into the code so it doesn’t give the neighbors carte blanche?” Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven, a member of the commission, asked.

The commission recommended to the Common Council that the zoning code be amended to allow used vehicle sales as a conditional use when it is an accessory use.