WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — Auto Beauty Specialists could be forced to relocate because of a judge’s decision more than 20 years ago, according to Websterkirkwoodtimes.com.
The city filed the suit against the detailing and collision repair business after neighbors complained about paint fumes, noise and other issues coming from the location, noted the article. The city claimed it was a “legal non-conforming use for the site.”
“For us, auto body work, painting and collision repair constitute a public garage,” said city attorney Helmut Starr in the article. “We contended in the lawsuit that the business had morphed from a detailing to an auto body shop over time.”
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Starr shared in the article the shop installed special equipment to manage the fumes, and it was given more than 20 years to recoup that investment with the body shop. An agreement said that in 2016 the body work must cease, but detailing work could continue.
According to John Garber, president of Auto Beauty, in the article, his business has contributed more than $1 million in sales and property taxes to the city over the past decade. Customers have also expressed concern over losing the long-time company.
Starr reported in the article he has met with Auto Beauty to try and find alternate sites, but those meetings have been unsuccessful.
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