WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — A vacant former bank near Route 75 could be replaced by a Firestone automotive service center after town planners approved the project.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 on Aug. 10 to approve plans for a 6,000-square-foot building at 6 National Drive, according to meeting minutes posted by the town.
The proposed shop would have eight service bays and 30 parking spaces on the 0.8-acre property. The former bank building has been vacant for some time, project representatives told the commission.
Firestone expects to service about 25 to 30 vehicles per day. The business would employ seven or eight people on most days, with as many as 10 employees working on Saturdays.
Proposed hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Services would include tire replacement, alignments, brake repairs, shocks and oil changes. Representatives said the location would not perform major work such as engine repairs, and inoperable vehicles would not be left outside.
Plans also call for closing the property's existing one-way driveway and creating a full-access entrance on National Drive. A right-in-only entrance from Route 75 is also proposed. Project representatives said the state Department of Transportation has approved the entrance concept, but a construction permit is still needed.
The state permitting process could push the start of construction to March or April 2027, according to the minutes.
The building would be able to store approximately 900 tires indoors and would be equipped with a sprinkler system. Used tires would be kept in a covered enclosure and regularly collected by a recycling company.
The project previously received zoning variances allowing fewer parking spaces, increased lot coverage and reduced landscaping. The commission's approval also includes conditions involving stormwater drainage, lighting and final engineering inspections.
Firestone must receive additional state and local permits before the business can open.
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