Samuel Melgar appeared Oct. 2 before the Kent County Regional Planning Commission seeking permission to use part of his home at 678 Hampton Hills Drive as a professional office for a wholesale auto‑buying business.

Melgar said the use would be limited to paperwork and online purchase activity and that he did not plan to store vehicles or have customers visit the house. “I just need a little office to buy cars online and store paperwork,” Melgar said, adding that he works out of state and does not want visitors at his residence.

Planning staff and commissioners asked whether the Hampton Hill subdivision homeowners association (HOA) had reviewed the request; Melgar said the HOA had told him the office would be allowed “as long as I’m not storing any vehicles or … having people coming in and out of [the] community.”

The application identifies the parcel as Lot 6 of the Hampton Hill subdivision, 0.57 acres; present zoning was listed as AC, outside the county growth zone, and the proposed use description in the file was “professional office, wholesale auto (paper office only).” No members of the public spoke in favor or opposed during the hearing.

Because the Oct. 2 session was a public hearing, the commission did not vote; the file will be considered at the commission’s Oct. 9 business meeting. Commissioners will review the record, including any HOA input, before making a decision. The public record remains open for two business days following the hearing.