The Crawford town board recently defined the term “used car sales” in its town code, preventing gray area between used car sale lots and junkyards.

Currently, Crawford town code has no definition for used car sales. The new definition excludes the sale of salvage vehicles and vehicles not in running condition from the definition of used car sales.

The new definition for used car sales will be defined in the town code as “the sale of used vehicles, whether or not in conjunction with the sale of new vehicles, but excluding the sale of salvage vehicles, vehicles with asalvage title and vehicle not in running condition when delivered to the site of the used car sales.”

Town Supervisor Charles Carnes said the definition clarifies the zoning law so that there is no gray area between used car sales and junkyards. Junkyards are prohibited in the town and are defined in the town code.

Carnes said he wanted to avoid the problems neighboring towns have had with applications that had ambiguous uses, angering nearby residents who perceived the projects as junkyards. BHT-Montgomery, a proposed 118-acre car lot in the Town of Montgomery, recently withdrew its application after fierce opposition from residents.

“We’re just going to limit the definition of used car sales to avoid salvage, junk vehicles, things like that, in our definitions to avoid problems that have been in Sullivan County and some other towns in Orange County,” Carnes said.

Montgomery resident John Brown appealed to the Montgomery Zoning Board of Appeals against BHT, claiming the proposed projects was a junkyard and not an auto sales lot and automobile recycling facility.

Brown commended Carnes and the town board for passing the law.

“I really commend your board on getting ahead of this and doing the right thing to limit this type of project that doesn’t fit in your neighborhood,” Brown said.

Brown said he will present this local law to the Montgomery town board for their consideration.