The Saab dealership will move from its current location, where it shares space with Audi and Volkswagon at Valenti's current site at 600 Straits Turnpike, to the new location. All service for the Saab dealership will still be done on the Audi/Volkswagon property, as the new dealership will be a showroom only, with no area for repair or other servicing of vehicles.

The dealership was approved with the following conditions: The existing building be used as a showroom only, with no service or repair; all lighting be full cut-off fixtures; signage should conform to regulations; no loading or unloading of vehicles on the property; no more than 49 vehicles displayed on the property (not counting customer vehicles); a landscape buffer be placed between the property's Straits Turnpike and State Street frontages, with only plantings and sidewalks within the buffer; and two tri-fold doors be placed on the State Street side of the building, or one tri-fold door on State Street and one rolling door at the rear of the building.

P&Z Chairman Dave Minnich was particularly concerned by the proposal to have a rolling door facing state street.

"We pay particular attention to what is on public streets," said Mr. Minnich.

Joan Molloy, of Loughland and Fitzgerald Attorneys, stated that the rolling door will be glass, like what is used at the Saturn dealership across the street, and not a standard metal rolling door. Ms. Molloy offered to move the door to the rear of the building if the commission was unhappy with the positioning.

Ms. Molloy stated that Valenti was primarily concerned with having a functioning dealership at the site, which used to be a walk-in medical clinic. She stated that Valenti would come back with another application once the specifics of what the dealership would look like was worked out with Saab, which is currently in the Swiss version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Valenti principal owner Fred Valenti.

"Saab may wait two years to decide what it wants," said Ms. Molloy. "We don't want to wait that long."

The application required a special permit because it is being built on less than five acres. Though most car dealerships in the area are built on less than five acres of land, the requirement forces new prospective dealers into the special permit process, which gives P&Z more control on what is built in the area.

According to Mr. Valenti, who owns the business through Legends Auto Group, LLC, the business will be mainly an office and showroom area, with no on-site maintenance facilities. All maintenance and preparation of vehicles will be done down the street at Mr. Valenti's current automotive business, which will sell Audis.

Mr. Valenti plans on expanding the Audi dealership, which will be under a separate application. The dealership has been at that location for 20 years, according to Mr. Valenti.

"Our experience is that when an automotive manufacturer is in trouble like that, they have a tendency to cut any dealer that doesn't sell their cars exclusively," said Mr. Valenti. "This is a way for us to save our business. We want to show Saab when they come out of bankruptcy that we have a showroom exclusively for them."

Mr. Valenti stated that the plans are to demolish most of the current building's interior, which was formerly a medical walk-in clinic, to make room for the showroom, offices and delivery area. The bathrooms will not be demolished, he said.

Mr. Minnich also questioned the arrangement for service between the Audi/Volkswagon dealership and the new Saab dealership, and what would happen should the two dealerships one day come under separate ownership.

Ms. Molloy stated that the requirement that no repairs be done at the Saab site would require any new owner to either apply to build a service area or find alternate arrangements of its own.