By Joe Bachman

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a three year variance that would allow Federwitz Autosports utilize a gravel lot to display vehicles for sale.

The lot at 3820 8th St. South, right next to Subway, often has parked vehicles for sale on a gravel area. According to city ordinances, parked vehicles should be on paved lots. The trailers on the property are also supposed to be parked on a paved surface.

According to city attorney Susan Schill, variances require unique physical limitations that goes against the compliance, or an unnecessary hardship.  Owner of the lot, Mike Federwitz, uses the lot to display vehicles he has for sale, but does not want to pave the area due to economic reasons. He is also trying to sell the property, and sees it as a waste of resources for a potential new owner that may make alterations to a paved lot.

Federwitz argued that parking the vehicles in one spot benefits the public, as they are condensed to one area, as opposed to sporadically parked around the city.

The variance was approved by the committee, and will last for three years.