Arlington Hts. welcomes Japanese car dealership at Arlington Heights, Central roads

Japan Auto Services will open an Arlington Heights business to lease and sell cars mainly to Japanese businesspeople who are in this country for two or three years.

The Arlington Heights village board Monday approved the company opening at the northwest corner of Arlington Heights and Central roads over the objection of three neighbors.

Joe Xu told trustees he has similar businesses in New York and Virginia near Washington, D.C., and customers often do business over the Internet and do not even come to the site, but their cars are delivered to their hotel or home. When they leave the country they have the option of selling it back to Japan Auto Services, and it is often picked up at the airport or hotel.

The building on the land was previously a Shell station and has been vacant for about seven years, but the underground fueling tanks have been removed. The site will have a maximum of 21 cars, and the company will do extensive landscaping.

Joe Xu promised the lot would not have gaudy signs or balloons. The trustees were also concerned that any test driving be done on major streets.

Neighbors expressed concern that the dealership not be allowed to expand into an adjacent area zoned for offices between the dealership and single-family homes.

Robert Ptaszek of the 900 block of Arlington Heights Road said neighbors would like a lower impact business such as a doctor's office or a bank.