Norman neighborhood protests plans for auto dealership

Hudimax Holdings LLC wants to build a new Automax Hyundai dealership on the west side of N Interstate Drive between Robinson Street and Rock Creek Road on about seven acres that back up to the Dove Crossing housing addition.

To build, the company needs city council approval to change the land use designation for the property from office space to commercial and rezone from C-1, which is light commercial, to a planned unit development that would still be zoned C-1 but would add a car dealership as a permissible use.

“It's a very inappropriate use of this land given its juxtaposition to a residential neighborhood,” Donna Taffe said.

A car dealership would cause noise, lighting and traffic problems for the neighborhood, she said.

“I would never have purchased my home there if I thought a car dealership could be built there, and I don't think anyone in this neighborhood would have,” Taffe said.

Ed Averyt said he worries that customers of the dealership will test drive vehicles through the neighborhood.

“I know they would. They (dealership representatives) say they won't allow that, but you know they will. We have children in our neighborhood playing and getting on and off school buses. It's dangerous,” Averyt said.

Trucks that unload vehicles at the dealership also will cut through the neighborhood when they're finished unloading, he said.

“Our neighborhood just can't support that kind of commercial traffic,” he said.

Mark Benner said he and his neighbors are not opposed to development on the property, which currently is a vacant field.