By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — The Town Council on Tuesday approved permits for an auto repair business on Shue Road and an auto parts company on U.S. 29.

The Shue Road business is China Grove Motor Coach and Collision Center. It is moving into the city limits from a larger building on N.C. 152. The U.S. 29 business is Standard Motors.

The council voted unanimously to approve conditional use permits for both businesses.

Town Planner Franklin Gover said China Grove Motor Coach and Collision Center, owned by Clyde and Jeff Richards, began operating at the facility before permits were issued Tuesday. He said fines could have been issued but were not.

The business needed a conditional-use permit to allow for outdoor storage of recreational vehicles and auto service uses at its new facility —  162 Shue Road — Gover said.

Issues discussed about the business during the Town Council meeting included whether the business could store equipment in a mandatory buffer zone, whether to use a fence or landscaping as a barrier at the back of the property, and general questions about operations.

One person spoke about the permit during a public hearing and suggested that a fence be built at the back of the property instead of planting trees or other landscaping. Town Council members agreed.

Standard Motors plans to store vehicles outside, strip those vehicles for parts, ship parts overseas and send the vehicles to a scrapyard. It needed a conditional-use permit to allow for outdoor storage of vehicles and auto sales and service within a light industrial zoning, Gover said.

Standard Motors would be at a site on U.S. 29 that’s between a trailer park and a Dollar General store. The edge of its property would be only a few dozen feet from the nearest mobile home. The site sits just south of Food Lion on U.S. 29.

Town Council members peppered Standard’s owners with questions about its general operations. No conditions were added to the permit as a result of the questions.

Two people spoke about the permit for Standard Motors. One said the business fits well with previous uses of the property. The other asked if there’s a potential for parts to be left on nearby property. Business owners said they don’t plan to leave parts lying around and would be responsive to any concerns nearby residents may raise in the future.

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting:

• Town Council members voted to use about $5,000 to build sidewalks near the intersection of North Main Street and U.S. 29.

• During discussion about approving sidewalks, Mayor Lee Withers revealed that construction of a Food Lion store near the intersection North Main Street and U.S. 29 has been temporarily paused.

Town Manager Ken Deal said the pause came after N.C. Department of Transportation employees told developers a deceleration lane on U.S. 29 would be significantly more expensive than initially projected.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.