By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Town Council is looking at amending the zoning laws to restrict out-of-area auto dealers from setting up absentee sales outlets.

Frank Lallier, who is general manager of Blevins Seaway Motors, told the board that local dealers are losing business because of companies like Rochester-based Vision Auto Group, who is selling cars at the St. Lawrence Centre.

“The bottom line is: This board supports a change,” Councilman John Macaulay told Lallier.

Councilman Samuel Carbone said he has sought council from the Association of Towns and they sent him similar laws in Wheatfield, Oneida and Glenville. He said he is also looking at Watertown’s code, which has similar provisions.

“We’re going to work through it and get the proper language that’s going to have some teeth,” Carbone said.

Lallier said the board needs to act quickly because he feels that Vision Auto is misleading customers and selling them bad vehicles.

He said people buying those cars come to local dealers for help with problems and when they get there, “these people are so upside-down.”

He said Malone skipped the legal route and told Vision to stay out of town.

“They just told them they couldn’t come and they didn’t,” according to Lallier.

Carbone said he wants to make sure Massena won’t open themselves to court action.

“We don’t want repercussions, possibly a lawsuit,” he said.