As the Dinah Washington song goes, “What a Difference A Day Makes.” In the case of a Gary Common Council committee, it’s not a day, but two weeks.

The council’s planning committee gave a second review to a proposal that would allow a used car lot currently in unincorporated Lake County to relocate to Gary city limits, and this time looked favorably upon the idea.

When the committee first heard the measure earlier in June, they were skeptical, and critical of the proposal. But on Wednesday, the committee gave every indication that the full council will sign off on the plan when they meet again Tuesday at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen.

Currently, Haitham Sweis, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, operates a used car lot on land he rents at 5205 Ridge Road, which puts his business in an unincorporated Calumet Township.

But Sweis, who has operated his business for four years, says there is a property directly across the street at 5130 Ridge Road, in Gary. He wants to buy it, demolish the structure on the site and use the property to establish a larger used car lot – one with an office building and two structures that would serve as garages where work could be done.

In order to do so, the council would have to grant a use variance. The site currently is zoned for residential use.

Gary’s Board of Zoning Appeals recommended the measure on the grounds that it was an already established business that would be locating to the city. But committee members were reluctant to support it because Sweis did not bring any kind of architectural renderings or drawings.

When Sweis appeared before the Planning committee again on Wednesday, he had drawings, although he admitted he did them himself to show exactly where on the 150-foot by 190-foot property he wants to locate the structures.

That appeared to make all the difference, as Councilman Mike Brown, D-at large, said to Sweis, “Thank you for your patience. Things we needed to see are now presented, and we can move forward.”

Sweis said he wants to make the move in part because it would give him a larger land plot than the current 70 feet by 220 feet he uses. In addition, his current site is one he rents, while he likes the idea of owning the land his business occupies.

“It would be an investment in my own property,” Sweis said of his business. “It gives me greater control over how I do things if I control the site.”

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.