Board, Residents Question Flyte Tyme's Parking

The Zoning Board of Adjustment is still not sure that Flyte Tyme Limo should be allowed to park its vehicles in the parking lot of its neighbor, the Luk Oil Gas Station at 149 Franklin Turnpike.

Flyte Tyme has allegedly been using the station as a base of operations for seven vehicles - five mini-busses and two vans. This, however, was cited as being in violation of township ordinances forbidding the storage of vehicles on a site.

Flyte Tyme has been arguing that since no vehicles were in fact being stored on the property, they were not actually in violation of zoning.

The business’s attorney called on only one witness at Wednesday night’s hearing, Planner Kathryn Gregory, who backed up its claim that parking in that area is a permitted use under the township’s zoning ordinance.  

She maintained that the site was ‘particularly suited’ to this purpose, given that they would provide inspections of the vehicles in question, as per DOT regulations, as well as providing diesel fuel for said busses and vans.

Board Member Wes Whiteman expressed concerns that rather than simply using the space for parking, Flyte Tyme might be using it for vehicle storage.  He pointed to a van with a clearly broken window that had been parked on site for over a week and a half.  

The applicant’s attorney remarked that “parking is parking and storage is storage,” and that vehicles would not be up on blocks or such being stored on site.

Board Member George Cimis argued that Flyte Tyme was in possession of a building in a B12 district not more than a quarter mile away, with more than ample parking.  He continued to argue that he could see no evidence that the Luk Oil station was ‘uniquely suited’ to the use the applicant was requesting.

Gregory contended that Cimis was taking things out of context, because the applicant is seeking only, she argued, for an interpretation of the ordinance.

Local residents asked questions of the planner along the same lines, though the applicant’s attorney maintained that they were moving far afield from the issue at hand, and further much of their questions were not the purview of the planner, but instead of the engineer and gas station owner.

Board Chairman Charles Rabolli concluded that the testimony of the planner was complete, and that at the October 5 Board of Adjustment meeting, Flyte Tyme needed to present its owner, the owner of the service station, and their engineer to satisfy board and public questions.  

He also requested that the board’s planner, Joseph Burgis, have an opportunity to comment on Gregory’s testimony. The presence of Gary Montroy, the township's administrative officer, was also requested at the next meeting, since his note on the issue brought it to the attention of the Board this June.