Former Taylor Rental Site on Route 206 Wins Approval for Auto Service and Repair

Matthew Hersh

The former site of Taylor Rental Business at 775 State Road can be converted into a public commercial garage for automobile service and repair, and car rental service, according to a recent decision handed down by the Princeton Township Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The applicant, Brandon Baker, owner of Baker Chrysler near the corner of Cherry Valley and State roads, intends to use the site not only as a service garage, but as a storage facility for those cars either scheduled to be serviced or that have undergone servicing and await owner pick-up.

Located in a Township-designated S2 zone, or a mixed-use commercial service district, the area lies in the immediate vicinity of STS auto service and the Princeton Body Shop, but backs up to a residential, or R2 Township zone.

Other uses in this particular zone include the newly-built CVS and Commerce Bank near the corner of Princeton Avenue and State Road, PNC Bank, Mobil gas station, and HESCO lighting.

Mr. Baker's attorney, James Schragger, of the firm Schragger, Schragger, and Lavine, said his client intends to place a car rental counter inside the garage, and, based on site plan approval, an area that will accommodate up to 30 parked cars.

At an application hearing last week, Mr. Schragger argued that this particular zone in the Township lends itself to such an enterprise, even though the property backs up to a largely residential and wooded area.

The application Mr. Baker submitted for zoning board review suggested that "it is not unreasonable to assume that a commercial garage must operate with some level of outdoor vehicle storage."

Mr. Schragger likened the proposed business to the Texaco station at the coner of Birch Avenue and Bayard Lane. That station, which also lies in a Township S2 zone, has outdoor vehicle storage.

Further, Mr. Schragger used the example of Stefanelli's Automotive garage, which lies adjacent to Texaco, at the corner of Leigh Avenue and Bayard Lane. Stefanelli's has an Avis car rental counter. He said this is a similar operation to the one in Mr. Baker's proposal.