LISBON – Mort Backus and Sons car dealership located on Route 68 in Lisbon has been given preliminary approval by the town Planning Board to move ahead with an expansion that will see 5,000 square feet added to the existing building.

Michael Backus, general manager, said the addition is intended to “treat the customer the way they want to be treated.”

Mr. Backus presented the Planning Board with designs for the project on Monday.

Construction on the addition is scheduled to begin in the spring and the dealership is still looking for a contractor to carry out the work.

“We’re 95 percent sure who we’re going to hire,” said Mr. Backus.

The addition will “give us additional parts room, two handicap accessible bathrooms, one employee bathroom and office space,” said Mr. Backus.

Additional showroom space and two drive through service lanes will also be opened up with the expansion.

Planning Board Member Rhonda L. Roethel said, “The drive through [service lane] is a big thing these days,” nothing that she has seen them at other dealerships. Mr. Backus said the idea is to make their dealership look similar to other Chevrolet dealers.

“They want to make it identical,” said Mr. Backus. “We’re very excited about it.”

Mr. Backus also noted there will be a change to the lighting in the parking lot, the details of which are yet to be worked out.

“We want to be a good neighbor,” he added.

Planning Board Chairman Steven Wallace said, “I don’t see any problems [with the designs].”

The Board unanimously approved the project and sent it to the St. Lawrence County Planning Office for final review.

Mr. Wallace said he doesn’t foresee any problems with the county’s review and expects construction to go ahead as planned.

The project will see the current footprint of the dealership expanded to just over 20,000 square feet.

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