The Norcross City Council voted 3-1 to deny a special-use permit for a new auto glass repair facility to be constructed at 5386 Buford Highway, where Bolton’s Service Station has stood for more than six decades.
Because Norcross has changed its zoning laws to prohibit automotive uses along State Route 13, the applicant’s proposal to construct a larger automotive-related facility on the site requires a special-use permit.
The applicant, Low Price Auto Glass, wants to move its shop a few miles south from 4416 Buford Highway in unincorporated Gwinnett County to Norcross. The applicant has already purchased the site, according to city officials.
Buford Highway planning
Council Member Bruce Gaynor said the auto glass repair facility would be a dramatic visual improvement, but city leadership has prioritized turning the page on Buford Highway development. Gaynor and other city officials encouraged staff to help the applicant find another location within Norcross.
“This is the first opportunity we’ve had to approve something,” Gaynor said, citing the city’s work on the Buford Highway Master Plan. “While I’d love to approve something nice, it goes back to automotive again.”
Norcross staff cited several reasons for its recommended denial of the special use permit, citing violations of city codes that prohibit the continuation of nonconforming uses or grandfathered-in zoning in certain cases.
The applicant proposed an 8,000-square-foot building on a 0.65-acre site, which is below the 2-acre minimum in city code for motor vehicle-related uses.
New Community Development Director Kamau As-Salaam, formerly with Henry County Government, said the proposed building is a site improvement.
“While automotive activity already exists on the property, the proposed development would constitute an expansion of a legal nonconforming use, requiring additional zoning appeal,” As-Salaam said. “The primary concerns include inconsistency with the comprehensive plan, vision for the Buford Highway corridor, [and] compatibility with surrounding uses.”
Zoning board had recommended denial
In October, the Norcross Planning & Zoning Board voted 3-2 to recommend denial of the permit, after hearing from the applicant and the project’s general contractor.
While staff noted the application lacked a formal plan to connect to Gwinnett County’s nearby sewer line, the contractor said doing so would be feasible. The site plan works around an Atlanta Gas Light easement on the north end of the property.
Council Member Josh Bare said he supports the project, citing the new building’s aesthetic improvement to that segment of Buford Highway. Bare said he thinks there’s a need for window repairs in a car-dependent city.
“I know we are trying to make Buford Highway a more pleasant place,” he said. “I think the applicant makes a really good point, in that this is mostly a warehouse; it’s not really an automotive service place.”
Council Member Matt Myers asked Economic Development Director David Versel to work with the applicant to find another, more suitable location in the city. Versel said he’s committed to working with the business, which has been around for nearly 30 years.
During the public hearing before the council vote, several residents spoke in favor of granting the business a permit.
Former Downtown Development Authority Chair Kathleen Allen said she wanted mayor and council to work with the business owner and make the site plan more suitable before the denial business.
“This is just putting in glass on the front of cars,” Allen said. “This isn’t engines and oil and old vehicles sitting around. It’s not going to be the kind of place where my son bought a car on Buford Highway … We need small business owners like this in Norcross.”
