Marlborough committee votes to deny special permit for Washville Car Wash at 223 East Main Street

The Marlborough City Council Urban Affairs Committee on Tuesday voted to deny a special permit application from GR Development LLC, doing business as Washville Car Wash, for a tunnel car wash proposed at 223 East Main Street, the former Bank of America building. The committee voted 4–1 to deny the special permit and instructed the city solicitor to draft language to bring the matter to the full City Council for final action.

The vote came after the applicant described equipment and operational controls meant to limit water runoff, queueing and traffic impacts, and after multiple council members raised safety and traffic‑flow concerns for the Route 20/East Main Street corridor. The applicant and city staff also outlined a set of draft special‑permit conditions governing hours, water reclamation, signage, and police enforcement.

Attorney Brian Faulk, the applicant’s counsel, told the committee the proposed car wash uses a system that “recaptures approximately 90% of the water” and includes a chamois drying system to minimize water left on vehicles as they exit. Faulk said the applicant would adopt a salt‑and‑shovel log and other winter procedures as a condition of approval.

Jim Waterman, executive vice president of Washville, said exit spacing depends on seasonality and customer behavior but described typical processing times: “we process about every…it depends on seasonality…generally between 40 seconds to a minute on an exiting vehicle,” with up to two minutes in some cases. Bob Michaud, a transportation consultant with MDM Transportation, summarized meetings with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the city engineer, saying MassDOT “do[es] not favor, will not support, left turn restrictions at this property” and that a prior corridor study and his analysis indicated “ample capacity at the signal” and no regular queueing that would influence the driveways.

Committee discussion focused on whether the car wash would create new left‑turn conflicts or unsafe queueing on Route 20; whether winter runoff could create ice hazards on the sidewalk and roadway; and whether site signage and police details in the draft conditions would be sufficient to manage problems if they occur. Several council members, including Councilor Naven, cited safety and traffic concerns. “I can’t personally get past the fact that this is gonna be a traffic issue,” Naven said. Councilor Preciado and others described the intersection as “very busy” and worried about limited sightlines and historic construction and utility work in the area.

City department reviews were submitted to the committee and incorporated into the proposed decision. Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Emanuelson and the Board of Health (Paul Dinwiddie) raised no objections. The police chief supported language in the draft decision allowing police details and temporary shutdowns if vehicles back up onto East Main Street. City Engineer Tom DiPercio recommended internal signage that encourages right turns out of the site and requested that the applicant obtain and comply with any Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) highway access permit. Conservation and sustainability officer Priscilla Ryder requested a more robust landscaping plan than the zoning minimums and that landscaping be maintained by the applicant and successors in perpetuity.

The draft findings and proposed special‑permit conditions submitted to the committee listed the site as 37,822 square feet in the Business zoning district and described the prior bank use with drive‑through service. The application included a traffic assessment dated Dec. 13, 2024, and supporting materials. Key draft conditions discussed by the committee included: - Hours of operation (Monday–Saturday 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). - Operations: an internal drying and water capture system (to minimize water on vehicles), and required employee snow/ice removal with logs subject to inspection. - Site access: applicant must obtain and comply with a MassDOT highway access permit; the site must include internal signage and markings that encourage exiting vehicles to turn right onto East Main Street. - Police detail: the applicant must employ a Marlborough police detail when the police chief determines it is necessary; if a city detail is unavailable, a private detail must be obtained. - Monitoring: the applicant must provide traffic and transaction reports for each of the first three months of operation to the police department and city engineer. - Water and sewer: installation and maintenance of a water reclamation and recycling system to be approved during site plan review and a sewer discharge permit from the Department of Public Works. - Landscaping, noise/air quality, lighting and signage requirements consistent with city ordinances and additional conditions requested by staff.

Applicants emphasized data from comparable Washville locations showing about 15% of customers use vacuum stations and that parking plans (15 parking spaces) comply with zoning. Michaud told the committee his traffic analysis showed “very little change during the midday periods and slightly higher, about 12 additional vehicles over the course of an hour on a Saturday midday,” compared with the historic bank use.

Despite those assurances and multiple draft conditions intended to mitigate impacts, a majority of committee members said the traffic and winter runoff risks outweighed the proposed mitigations. Councilor Doucette said she would prefer to let site plan review work through details but ultimately voted against denial; Councilor Assing and others urged approval, noting department reviews found no objections. Councilor Naven moved to deny the special permit; the motion carried 4–1 with Councilor Doucette recorded as opposed. The committee asked the city solicitor to put the denial into proper form and to place the item on the full council agenda for final action.

The Urban Affairs Committee’s action is a committee recommendation; the full Marlborough City Council will consider the matter at a future meeting after legal language is prepared. The applicant may also pursue site plan review and MassDOT permitting required to modify access or implement the draft conditions if the full council’s final decision allows the use.