Council Opposes Proposed Auto Detailing Business

An auto detailing business proposed by the firm Horst and Horst for a property at 720 Main Street, if approved, would be located next to an artesian well that is an integral part of the municipal water system, borough councilman and Hellertown Borough Authority member Mike McKenna told colleagues at council's June 20 meeting.

For that reason, the Hellertown Borough Authority "patently oppose anything in that area, because of our well," McKenna said.

A discussion about the proposed business began when the borough's Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer, Joe Chernaskey, told council members that a plan for the business submitted by Horst and Horst will be before the Hellertown Zoning Hearing Board at their Wednesday, July 20 meeting. 

This is not the first time Horst and Horst has submitted plans for a business at that location, Chernaskey said.

An earlier plan that was rejected by the Zoning Hearing Board was for a combination paint shop and auto detailing business.

Horst and Horst appealed the Zoning Hearing Board's decision to Northampton County Court, at which point a judge ruled that the developers were "mixing apples and oranges" by proposing that type of mixed use business, Chernaskey said.

The judge pushed the matter back to the Hellertown Zoning Hearing Board and Horst and Horst has now submitted a plan for an auto detailing business that "is under the same docket as it was when he came the first time," Chernaskey explained.

"We will still use the same docket number...because the judge threw it back to the zoning," he said.

According to Chernaskey, there would be no spray painting taking place at the proposed detailing business, but there would be "washing" and "striping" of cars.

Councilwoman Stephanie Kovacs, after listening to his description of the proposed business, agreed with McKenna.

"We don't want anything nasty or funky getting in our water supply," she said.

Chernaskey added that in the past, there have been some problems associated with fuel leaking from the nearby Plaza Petroleum gas station "and making it to the well."

For that reason, he said, protecting water quality in the vicinity of the artesian well has been a "concern for a long time."

A motion by council in opposition to the plan for the auto detailing business was approved unanimously at the meeting, with councilwoman Gail Nolf absent.

During his update to council, Chernaskey also announced that a plan for a drive-thru restaurant in the former M&T Bank building at 730 Main Street may be pulled from the Zoning Hearing Board's July docket, since an attorney for the developers behind the plan may not have all the information he needs by then.

If that plan is not on the July meeting agenda, he expects it to be before the Zoning Hearing Board in August, Chernaskey said.

The next Zoning Hearing Board meeting will be held July 20 at 7pm in Hellertown Borough Hall.