Beaver Toyota relocation plan hits annex snag

Zoning panel tables auto dealership's request to build at south end of Cerrillos Road

Bob Quick | The New Mexican

11/21/2008 - 11/22/08

The owners of Beaver Toyota want to move the car dealership from St. Michael's Drive to a larger location on the southwestern edge of Santa Fe.

However, general manager Matthew Calavan said Friday that he was discouraged by a city/county zoning panel's reaction this week to the company's plan to build on 19 acres of land off the south end of Cerrillos Road.

The Extraterritorial Zoning Commission "wanted more information on the traffic flow and tabled our request for 30 days," Calavan said. "If we had gotten approval, at least we could have moved to the next step. We need to move forward and get this done."

The proposed dealership at 8201 Cerrillos Road, off the Interstate 25 West Frontage Road, would include almost 66,000 square feet of floor area.

"It took us two years to find a property, and a year and a half to get it before the city," Calavan said. "Even one delay hurts."

As for Beaver's current location on St. Michael 's Drive, Calavan declined to be specific about plans for the 6.3-acre property used as a car dealership for more than four decades. "Things are kind of up in the air," he said. "We're looking at other options."

One obstacle for the proposed new site, Calavan said, is the fact that the land is within an area the city of Santa Fe plans to annex in coming years.

Since an annexation deal reached by city and county officials involves the dissolution of both the EZC and the Extraterritorial Zoning Authority and the formation of new, city land-use committees, "the city is recommending that the EZA put off our proposal and not hear us at all" until the new committees are in place, Calavan said.

"That could take months," he said, adding, "I can understand smart growth, but I wish the process were easier."

Michael Beaver bought the former Sauter car dealership in April 2002. The business employs 119 people, Calavan said.

Harry Sauter, whose roots in the car business went back to the 1920s, started Sauter Lincoln-Mercury in 1965 at the St. Michael's Drive location. In 1966, the Sauter family decided to add Toyota to their line of autos.

The Toyota brand grew into one of the biggest brands in the automotive world and regularly outsells U.S. automakers.

The Sauters kept the dealership in the same building over the years, adding to it and expanding the business.

Contact Bob Quick at 986-3011 or bobquick@sfnewmexican.com.