The owner of Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson on Gold Star Highway in Groton has purchased the property across the street for $1.45 million, and plans to move the business there, according to town records.
The dealership has been in Groton 40 years and Michael Schwartz has owned it since 2004.
The company cites flooding as a reason for the move, but the building is also larger than the current location.
Responsible Land Holdings Northeast LLC, applied on Sept. 11 to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to run a business referred to as "Northern Reach, Inc.," including retail sales and service of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and water skis at 1425 Gold Star Highway.
In the application, it wrote that its business “has experienced two floods in the last five years.”
The Mike's Famous Harley-Davidson dealership is on the north side of Route 184 at 1416 Gold Star Highway.
the store lost tools, diagnostic equipment, parts, inventory and customers’ bikes.
The building on the other side of the street has no history of flooding, the application said. It was formerly used as an auto body repair shop, an electronics facility and a screen-printing business.
A public hearing on the variance request is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 in the Town Hall Annex.
Records filed with the planning department show a purchase and sale agreement for 1425 Gold Star Highway was signed on July 10 by the buyer, Paul Elton, LLC, Schwartz, and the seller, ESOP Property of Groton LLC.
The listed price on a separate document is $1.45 million.
Mike’s Famous was closed Monday and Schwartz could not be reached for comment.
when he bought it.
“We looked at coming to New London County as an opportunity to hopefully make small changes and be impactful,” Schwartz said in that interview.
Pennsylvania native Schwartz lives in Delaware, home of the first Mike’s Famous dealership, and usually flies here twice a month. He relies on General Manager Lawre Casler to run the business on a daily basis.
