The Butler Township zoning hearing board Tuesday unanimously approved a special exception request for an auto detail shop from Baglier Auto Group.

Up to 12 employees will work in the 13,000-square-foot shop that will be built on the northern half of a 7.6-acre lot owned by Water Tower Development, a subsidiary of Baglier, off Comfort Lane, the access road to the Comfort Inn.

The property is zoned for commercial use, but a special exception is needed for the shop, which will be used to clean and prepare vehicles for sale. The township commissioners approved the land development plan last month.

Jonathan Garczewski of Gateway Engineers told the board that Comfort Lane will provide access to the shop and no customers will come to the building.

All work will be done inside the building, which will have 15 vehicle work stations, and parts will be stored inside, Garczewski said.

The building will have 88 parking spaces, more than twice the 42 spaces required by the zoning ordinance, he said.

Exterior lights on the building and in the parking lot will be pointed away from homes along the eastern and southern property boundaries, he said.

Ian Smith of Pittsburgh Road said the stormwater drainage system on the property from a previous development doesn’t work properly and runoff from the property floods his yard.

Jesse Hines, township zoning officer, said Baglier will improve the stormwater pond to handle the runoff from the building and parking lot, and the township will inspect the work.

David Behnot of the Comfort Inn said Comfort Lane is a private road owned by the hotel, which has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in paving and maintaining the road the last couple years.

He said he wanted a clause added to the special exception requiring Water Tower Development to share in the cost of plowing, salting and landscaping the road.

Hines said it is up to the hotel and developer to negotiate a road maintenance agreement.

Construction is expected to begin after Water Tower Development obtains a state permit to discharge runoff into a nearby stream.

In other business, the board approved an interpretation of the zoning ordinance that allows Goin’ Postal on Shockey Lane, off New Castle Road, to keep a business sign it attached to the sign of an adjacent business to remain in place as long as the owner removes a second sign.

George Shockey requested a variance for the attached sign or an interpretation. He said he attached his sign under the sign for the Villa Grande restaurant because a free-standing sign that has been in place for a year or two wasn’t attracting customers.

He said the newer sign has increased customer traffic.

The zoning ordinance allow a business to have one sign and it must be on the business’s property, Hines said.

The board agreed to let Shockey keep the attached sign if he removes the free-standing sign.