At their regular meeting on Tuesday, Raleigh Planning Commissioners approved a car care center in south Raleigh.
The approved site plan includes a sales office and tire storage facility on a 1.3-acre property located at the intersection of South Blount Street and Branch Street. State Auto Care and Used Tires also includes two service bays for auto repairs and off-street parking.
Business co-owner Bryant Williams said they’ve already made an effort to improve the appearance of the property, and they have plans to do more once they get the business going.
“If you look at pictures of that area, it’s very worn down,” Williams said. “In time I want to make it look like a new place.”
The property, 1316 South Blount St., borders a section of railroad owned by the North Carolina Railroad Company. Company representative Cathy Deeley voiced several concerns about the project, including changing the name of the railroad on the site plan from Norfolk-Southern Railroad to North Carolina Railroad Company.
“Besides having the name corrected we would like to have a notation in the rail corridor itself,” Deeley said.
Deputy City Attorney Ira Botvinick questioned the necessity of the request.
There were some questions as to what kind of ownership interest the railroad company had with the property. Deeley said she would need to do more research to find out if the company had an easement or a fee interest.
Because the business does not extend into the railroad corridor and the construction would have to adhere to the site plan, Commissioners opted against including the notation.
“I am not keen on the city telling people they need to negotiate with other people,” Botvinick said. “There is no compelling interest for us to add that condition to the site plan because the site plan can stand on its own.”
