Although several citizens spoke out against it, the Bartlett city board passed a resolution that is the first step for an auto paint and body shop to get a special use permit in the Grace commercial subdivision Lot 2 (Summer Avenue).
The lot is within the “C-H” Highway Business Zoning District, but homeowners in the area objected out of fears that damaged vehicles at AAA Collision will leak fluids that could flow onto their properties, harm pets an contaminate groundwater runoff.
AAA Collision representatives declined to speak in favor of the permit during their portion of the public hearing.
Neighbors who spoke against the permit included Tracy Payne, who said cars left in the lot over-night might draw crime to the area. “Bartlett has a good safe record and we’d like to keep that,” she said.
She continued, “I would like to mention that this won’t affect their business because it isn’t built yet. So perhaps we could find a place that would house them, and we would welcome them into our city.”
Thomas Spencer of Bartlett has property just west of the lot in question. He said the property already drains into his lot, and he is concerned that the current innocuous rainwater will turn into a dangerously contaminated runoff onto his property if a car repair shop is allowed to open there.
He said he went by AAA Collision’s current location on July 17 and obtained a sample of water runoff. Although he said it is one of the cleanest car lots he’s seen, he was troubled by what he found during his visit on that rainy day: He held up a jar of murky, oily fluids that he said included oil and transmission fluid for the board to view. The AAA Collision representatives disputed that the sample could have come from their property.
He has animals who don’t need to be exposed to toxic fluids, he said. “So if you’ve got damaged vehicles sitting there, you’re going to have antifreeze, transmission fluid, all draining out of that lot.”
Judy Jackson said she is concerned about the aesthetics affecting the older residential neighborhood.
Mr. and Mrs. Dell Schmand of Bartlett also opposed the permit in a letter read by the mayor.
“Since a number of single-family homes are well within 1,000 feet of this property, we are concerned about traffic, noise, water, fluid pollution being introduced … and lowering our property values,” the letter stated.
Some neighbors also spoke out in opposition at the July 7 planning commission, where the application was first heard and approved in an 8-1 vote.
The permit the city approved will be specific to the business, not tied to the property, so any subsequent businesses on that location would need to obtain a new permit.
The property is required to put in a detention basin on Summer that would handle all drainage from that lot, and the land can be graded to ensure the majority of rainwater flows toward that basin.
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138 weekdays or via email to bartlett.editor@journalinc.com.
