The economic downturn is changing many things.
Carson OKs used-car lot
COMMERCIAL ZONE: City changes policy as market slumps and tax revenues fall.
By Muhammed El-Hasan, Staff WriterA Carson city ordinance that has lasted at least three decades finally broke under the weight of the nation's slumping car market and resulting drop in municipal sales tax revenue.
Carson has given the green light for a used-car dealership to open in a commercial area, an exception to the city's zoning rules. Previously, dealerships were not allowed to sell used cars as the primary product in commercial zones.
Sonic Automotive Inc., a Charlotte, N.C.-based car retailer, plans to open the car lot this summer, possibly as early as June, according to Carson officials.
The used-car dealership will open at the former site of Don Kott Ford, which closed in December because of the sluggish vehicle market.
An adjacent lot, Don Kott Lincoln Mercury, also closed for the same reason. Both dealerships were owned by Sonic.
"We have to be somewhat pragmatic given the changes in the (car) market," Sheri Repp Loadsman, Carson's planning manager, said of the zoning exception. "We know that the manufacturers are struggling. We know there are only a limited amount of points of sale. What are our options?"
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