New Hyde Park Deputy Mayor Lawrence Montreuil announced at a recent village board meeting that New Hyde Park Auto Body’s expansion application was approved.
“There was a special use application before this board on Aug. 20, which we heard the case of 910 Third Avenue,” he said. “The owner of New Hyde Park Auto Body will expand his business to the other side of the tracks.”
Shop owner Charles DiMarino, a New Hyde Park resident for 30 years, says his business has outgrown the current site and he needs to expand. His shop specializes in collision repairs, foreign, domestic and fiberglass work as well as color-matching and unibody repairs. He envisions the new digs resembling a dealership where all cars can be viewed.
“It’s very cramped in our shop,” he said at a recent village meeting. “The [new] spot, it’ll help tremendously.”
Currently, the shop operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The new location, with 11 or 12 car lifts, will focus on body and frame work, according to DiMarino, and house the business offices.
Cars would be moved to the existing location, which has seven car lifts, for “finishing and assembly.” DiMarino employs nine people and plans to hire another seven once the new location opens.
Village officials were originally concerned with car storage and prep work on vehicles. Environmental issues, specifically smells, are always a cause for concern when it comes to expanding an auto body shop. DiMarino says he’s taken measures to mitigate possible negative impact on residents.
“We’re a green shop,” he said. “We use waterborne material, which has limited amounts of flammables. Most body shops use solvent-based products. I don’t. [In the new location] there won’t be any of that.”
The size of the whole old property is 6,500 square feet. DiMarino estimates the shop itself takes up about 2,800 square feet. The new building will be about 5,000 square feet.
“It’ll be a drive-in facility, so when you pull in, you’ll be able to get the cars out of bad weather and the like,” DiMarino said. “We outgrew [the current site]. We have the lot with all the cars so there’ll be less cars out on the street.”
