The Mentor Planning Commission on May 1 approved a conditional use permit to allow a vehicle-towing and impound/storage operation at 9060 Tyler Boulevard.

The commission granted approval subject to seven conditions. The applicant, Northeast Ohio Towing, represented by Larry Valines, described a roughly 24,000-square-foot enclosed storage/impound area behind the existing building; an 8-foot security fence with privacy inserts; an automatic sliding gate with privacy slots and a man gate; full site lighting and security cameras; and a small front office with customer parking and an interior secure storage area able to hold three to four vehicles.

“The whole area will be enclosed with an 8 foot high, security fence that will have inserts in it that will block the visibility into the lot,” Larry Valines said while explaining the proposal. He added the lot “will be completely lit. It has cameras on it and [it is] secured.” Curt Hansen, the applicant’s construction manager, also addressed site layout and access.

City staff presented seven conditions for approval; commission members raised no objections during the meeting and the roll call vote was unanimous in favor. The transcript shows the motion to approve passed and the roll call recorded Commissioners Varga, Crocker, Hadden, Perkovich, Rossetti and Cook voting yes.

Per the application, only towing personnel will have access to the impound area; the front office will handle customer retrieval of vehicles. The approval is limited to the use and the site-specific conditions the commission recorded; implementation and any building permits must follow city review and permitting processes.

The project will return to city staff for permit-level review and to confirm compliance with the seven conditions noted by administration during the hearing.