City grapples with used car lot on Wisconsin Street

The Port Washington Common Council on Tuesday approved 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.

But aldermen didn’t approve the site plan submitted by business owner Muhamed Abdiu, which would have allowed vehicles to be parked on the far south side of the property — which is adjacent to a residential property — and called for a seven-foot landscaped buffer in front of the building along Wisconsin Street.

Instead, aldermen approved a plan recommended by the Plan Commission that prohibits vehicles from being parked on the south side of the lot and calls for a 10-foot landscaped buffer.

Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, said the Plan Commission rejected Abdiu’s plan because it violated a requirement that vehicles not be parked within 20 feet of the property line and didn’t provide enough landscaping.

The council’s decision came after the neighboring property owner, Andrew Bolwerk, told aldermen he is concerned about the impact the use would have on the value of his property, including the potential long hours of operation and noise, and even test drives.

“There are a lot of small kids in my neighborhood,” he said. 

He also asked that the city require significant landscaping as a buffer between the properties since vehicles would be parked near the lot line.

Abdiu told aldermen that he needs the parking area on the south side of the lot to maintain an inventory of vehicles to sell, something that’s essential for success.

His business, he noted, is expected to be 70% sales and 30% repairs.

But Ald. Dan Benning said he struggled with the decision since his request doesn’t meet the zoning code.

“You have quite a bit of space to the north and I don’t know why you wouldn’t put it there,” he said.

Abdiu said the city did not want vehicles to be parked on the north side of the lot, where he had originally proposed it.

Ald. Deb Postl noted that when the city rebuilt Wisconsin Street, it worked to give it a more residential feel.

“I would not want to see any cars parked on the north end of the property,” she said.

Rick Peiffer, whose family operated a car repair and sales business on the site for years, noted that the people who live near the property moved in after the business was established.

“I’m not asking for rules to be broken. I’m asking for Muhamed to be cut some slack,” he said. 

City Attorney Eric Eberhardt told the council that Abdiu needs to apply for a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals if he does not meet the zoning code. 

“It’s not ‘Let’s Make a Deal.’ The Plan Commission can’t give variances,” Eberhardt said.

Aldermen ultimately approved the Plan Commission proposal, which does not violate the zoning code. 

But before it did, Abdiu’s real estate broker Rudy Gudgeon told the council that the proposal “does not really work for his business” and suggested Abdiu may submit a new plan that would call for vehicles to be parked on the north portion of the property.