Belleville City Council Rejects Zoning Variance Request for Auto-Repair Shop
Belleville City Council has rejected an auto-repair shop’s request for a zoning variance that would have permitted the business to park more vehicles outside its garage. On Monday, April 7,…
mechanic makes diagnostics of the car in the engine. car service and audit by an employee in a large car service. candle replacement. black mittens and car tool
Belleville City Council has rejected an auto-repair shop's request for a zoning variance that would have permitted the business to park more vehicles outside its garage.
On Monday, April 7, alderpersons voted to deny a request from Kenneth and Elizabeth Weiland of Alhambra, who own the property at 2339 Old Collinsville Road. The Weilands' tenant, Chris Brinley, has operated 1st Class Auto Service at the location for two years.
The city's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-0 last month to recommend that the City Council approve the variance request even though reports surfaced from owners of neighboring businesses who complained that Brinley stored too many vehicles outside the garage for extended periods.
Ward 1 alderpersons Bryan Whitaker and Lillian Schneider, who represent the area, and four neighboring business owners argued against granting the variance.
“Ever since (Brinley) has been there, he's had problems,” Schneider said in an interview with the Belleville News-Democrat after the meeting. “I went by there one weekend, and there was a car sitting up on a jack. That can be dangerous. ... That's a nice little strip mall in that area, and I hate to see it deteriorate.”
The proposed variance would have ordered the Weilands to cover a portion of a grass section of the 0.67-acre property with gravel. It would also have forbidden the storage of more than 20 vehicles at a time. No vehicle could be stored for more than 30 days, and no vehicle could be parked on the grass.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, in November 2024, alderpersons also rejected Brinley's variance request to permit “temporary outdoor vehicle storage” on an “unimproved lot,” the grassy area next to the business.
Cliff Cross, the city's director of economic development, planning, and zoning, said that, per Belleville's zoning codes, these activities are not permitted in a C-2 heavy commercial district.
When approached after Monday's meeting, Kenneth Weiland said he doesn't know what actions he'll take next and stated he'd consult his attorney.
