CRANBERRY TWP — Vehicle related businesses such as rental shops, dealerships, and repair facilities in the township now can be on commercially zoned streets instead of just major highways.

The township supervisors voted June 4 to amend the township’s zoning code that limited those businesses to major roads such as Route 19 and Route 228.

Under the change, businesses can apply for permission to do any of those auto related services as an accessory service to their already established business.

Ron Henshaw, director of community development for the township, said the change can mean “a bunch of different things” related to vehicle sales, vehicle rentals, and service.

“In this case, it really means vehicle rentals,” he said. “We only allowed that on a major highway, like Route 19. We had concerns raised from businesses that wanted to do this off the major highways.”

“We said, let’s fix this ordinance,” he said.

Under the revised ordinance, a business that wants to sell, rent or repair vehicles would need to submit an application to the township planning advisory committee, Henshaw said.

The committee would either deny or recommend it to the supervisors. If recommended to the supervisors, a public hearing would be conducted before it would be voted on by the supervisors.

“You do have to be on a commercial zoned street. It is not allowed on residential streets,” Henshaw said. “As long as the new use is an accessory to their current business, they can apply.”

No businesses have applied to add the new services. Henshaw estimated there would be fewer than five businesses that may apply for the change.