MASSENA — A variance from the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals will allow Frenchie’s Chevrolet to move forward with plans to extend its service area.

Board members unanimously approved the variance for phase four of a construction project Tuesday. Chairman Noel J. VanDusen was not present for the meeting.

Timothy P. LePage, acting in Mr. VanDusen’s absence, said the request had been sent to the county and returned to the local zoning board for action.

Daniel S. Pease, Real C. “Frenchie” Coupal’s attorney, said the service area extension will be a 20-by-70-foot extension at the rear of the building.

“The construction is consistent with the structure,” he said.

Because the land intersects a Commercial Auto-Related zone with a Residential B zone containing homes, he said, the setback is three times the normal requirement, necessitating the variance.

While the normal setback is 30 feet in that case, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the extension to within 5 feet, 6 inches of the lot line on Burney Avenue.

“The building predated the code,” Mr. Pease said.

The extended service area will contain one lift and facilities to wash vehicles, he said.

A new design will make it a drive-through facility, in which customers will drive into the building and deliver their car to a technician.

When the car is ready, it will still be in the building and the owner will be able to drive out the other side of the building, according to Mr. Pease.

“This way the client won’t have access to the service area. They don’t want clients in with the service area in case something happens to the client,” board member Diana C. Dufresne said.

More steps still must be taken before moving forward with the project, Mr. Pease said.

“This gives us the variance,” he said, noting they would still need to present an amended site plan to the village Planning Board for its review and approval.

The village also will have to schedule and hold a public hearing.

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