An auto dealership is planning to expand its facilities in Ferguson Township.
The township Planning Commission on Monday recommended conditional approval for Blaise Alexander’s preliminary land development plan to construct a new building and car wash on its Hyundai-Mazda dealership property at 1703 W. College Ave.
A site plan included in the Planning Commission agenda indicates the new 22,983-square-foot building would be for the Hyundai dealership and would be constructed behind the existing building on the property, which would be dedicated to the Mazda dealership.
A 3,426-square-foot automated car wash, which a project representative said will be open for public use, is planned further back on the property.
Blaise Alexander received approval in 2025 for a new 18,882-square foot Mazda body shop adjacent to the existing dealership building, and information presented to the Planning Commission on Monday shows another future phase for unspecified development.
Planning Commission recommended approval of four conditions as part of the preliminary land development plan for the new dealership building and car wash.
The first is to allow for a landscaping plan that includes existing mature vegetation and proposed new vegetation.
Another will allow Blaise Alexander to postpone paving an auxiliary lot until it determines parking and vehicle storage needs of the site at stabilization. The company will post the surety required to pave the parking lot to township code standards and will be held until the improvements are completed or the auxiliary parking area is closed.
The third condition permits the sidewalk being constructed the northeast side of Old Block Lane to serve the separately developed Rutter’s convenience store, which is currently under construction on the adjacent property, to provide the public right of way access and not require a sidewalk on the west side. It also would not require a sidewalk to the car wash
“Part of the logic of doing that is, looking from a realistic point of view, how much pedestrian traffic would be generated by this additional use, and even the Rutter’s use? Probably would be somewhat limited,” Planning Commission member Bill Keough said. “It just makes sense…”
The final condition waives the requirement for parking at the car wash because it will be automated.
Planning Commission also recommended approval of a conditional use application for the project.
The property is located in both the general commercial and industrial districts. A car dealership is considered a retail use permitted in the the commercial district, and because the car wash is considered accessory to the dealership it is also permitted there.
Retail, however, is a conditional use requiring approval in the industrial district. Planning and Zoning Director Kimberly Smith wrote in a memo that the plan meets the criteria for conditional use.
The conditional use application requires a public hearing, which the township Board of Supervisors previously approved scheduling for its Feb. 17 meeting.
The preliminary land development plan also will go before the supervisors for approval.
Blaise Alexander next will need to submit final land development plans for review by the Planning Commission and approval by the Board of Supervisors. Information included in Monday’s Planning Commission agenda indicated the final plan for the new dealership building is expected to be submitted sometime in the spring, with the final plan for the car wash to be submitted in 2027.
