SAN MARTIN
– A San Martin auto auction yard – located on a busy street
that’s already the subject of traffic concerns – should not be able
to increase the frequency of its sales events, the community’s
planning committee decided last week.
SAN MARTIN – A San Martin auto auction yard – located on a busy street that’s already the subject of traffic concerns – should not be able to increase the frequency of its sales events, the community’s planning committee decided last week.
The San Martin Planning Advisory Committee rejected a request from the Copart yard at 13895 Llagas Ave. to increase the frequency of its dealer-only auctions from twice a month to once a week.
County planners had recommended denying the request because they said the increased auctions would conflict with San Martin land-use regulations.
According to those regulations, commercial ventures in San Martin have to be mainly local-serving. While the auction yard is considered an industrial venture now, planners said more frequent sales would make it a commercial one – and that the customers would come from well beyond the local community.
Meanwhile, committee members worried Wednesday about the increased traffic that more sales would bring to Llagas Avenue, which already sees volume from a nearby school, waste transfer station and other businesses and features narrow bridges. An expansion proposal at the waste station has already created controversy over safety on the road as well as other concerns.
An estimated 200 people come to the auctions on sale days, and officials said the increased traffic would likely occur between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
“That’s during the time children are coming to school,” said committee member Donna Brodsky.
While the total number of cars parked at the facility at any one time would likely remain fairly static, committee members said the additional turnover would result in more truck traffic to bring the cars in and out.
Copart representatives did not appear at the hearing. The matter went before the county’s Planning Commission for final approval last Thursday but was continued.
