Symbolic vote against junkyard

Public hearing still going forward

Lorain City Council could shoot down a plan to move a truck salvage business into an Elyria Avenue junkyard.

The Lorain City Planning Commission has recommended denial for a request to change zoning for the company Peanut Propertis to operate at the former American Auto Wrecking, 3618 Elyria Ave.

On Oct. 15, Council concurred in an 8-1 vote.

That action legally was not binding on the zoning change, but it hinted at the Council members’ feelings about the request.

Peanut Propertis is a business of Joseph Burda of North Ridgeville.

Burda is the former owner of JB Acquisitions LLC, the indoor auto and machinery salvage yard at the intersection of Grove Avenue and Homewood Drive in South Lorain.

Burda ran afoul of city officials due to junked cars and rundown conditions at the South Lorain site, but now it has new owners.

In February 2017, Burda

Burda ran afoul of city officials due to junked cars and rundown conditions at the South Lorain site, but now it has new owners.

purchased the former American Auto Wrecking, which was a third-generation auto junkyard.

There were at least two parcels involved there, so Burda asked city officials to change zoning from B-1 General Business, and from R-3 Residential, to I-2 Heavy Industrial, so he could operate a salvage yard dedicated to breaking down parts from Ford super-duty trucks.

The Planning Commission recommended denial

of the zoning change Oct. 3.

The timing of the Oct. 15 Council vote was unusual because Council seldom, if ever, votes on a Planning Commission recommendation before holding a public hearing about the zoning change.

Generally, once the Planning Commission considers a zoning change, it sends a recommendation to City Council.

Then, Council schedules a public hearing on the request.

Once the hearing happens, Council has 30 days to take action.

Council must use an ordinance to take action on the

zoning change, said Clerk of Council Nancy Greer.

The Oct. 15 vote against the zoning change may indicate how Council is leaning on an issue.

However, it does not stop the legal process involved with the request for the zoning change, Greer said.

A public hearing for Burda’s request is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19, and it will go forward, she said.

“It still doesn’t alleviate us from doing our due diligence from following through on the zoning change,” Greer said.

It did not appear Burda was in the audience for the Oct. 15 Council vote.