The Falls Supervisors set the wheels in motion for an ambulance repair facility to relocate to Falls and double its operation – but not before first ensuring that neighboring residents’ concerns were addressed.
The board voted 4-1 Monday night to grant conditional use approval to SIV Ambulance. Supervisor Brian Galloway cast the lone no vote.
Conditional approval means the company could potentially build a 30,000-square-foot ambulance repair facility at the North Olds Boulevard and Lincoln Highway site provided that all conditions are met, and once land development plans have been submitted, reviewed, and approved by the Supervisors.
The board, along with the applicant, approved several conditions, including that the company could not store vehicle parts outside; repairs must be undertaken inside the repair facility; hours of operation would be Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and SIV Ambulance would contract with a third-party inspector to annually inspect the paint booth to ensure there aren’t any safety or environmental issues related to its operation.
The company is looking to build the facility on a 3.6-acre parcel adjacent to the social security administration building. The social security office shares a parking lot where the proposed facility is planned and could continue to do so, according to SIV Ambulance attorney Mike Meginniss.
SIV Ambulance owner Sergio Siv estimated that 85 percent of the business involves selling ambulances, while the remaining 15 percent relates to collision and repair. The business would operate like a warehouse sans a showroom, he said.
“Our showroom is outside in the parking lot, so we want to make it as clean as possible,” Siv said.
At the company’s current location in Langhorne, Siv said he had 35 or 40 ambulances on site with about 10 to 15 ready for sale. Most sales are conducted online.
In terms of addressing environmental concerns, Meginnis said the company has spent $130,000 to install a state-of-the-art paint booth designed to capture 99.84 percent of contaminants.
Even with the conditional use approval, Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence stressed that “this isn’t a done deal.”
“The biggest concern for me and probably all of us are the residences next door,” Dence said. “You still have a long way to go with those residents to make sure you’re all on the same page.”
The tract, which is zoned highway commercial, sits adjacent to residential properties. Two residents voiced concerns during the meeting related to potential noise, lighting, and environmental issues.
Supervisors Vice Chairman Jeff Boraski said he empathizes with residents.
“I can feel for the residents,” Boraski said, adding that as it stands now the land acts as open space. “It is a commercial property. Something has to go there.”
Meginniss said the company is amenable to planting trees to act as buffering between the site and the homes. In addition, testing of ambulance sirens would be done no more than once a day inside the repair facility and would last two seconds, he said. The property is backlit already, Meginniss said, adding that as planned the lighting poses a “significantly smaller impact.”
Addressing buffers and related items would be handled during the land development phase, Falls attorney Mike Clarke said.
Should the project move to fruition, it would create seven new jobs, officials said.
