Planning commission recommends approval for car-detailing business at 1048 Dundee Avenue

The Elgin Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 8 recommended city council approve a conditional-use plan development to allow an indoor motor-vehicle detailing business at 1048 Dundee Avenue.

City planning staff told commissioners the tenant space is about 1,100 square feet in the rear of a multi-tenant building and the business is classified under the city's car-wash/car-wash-related land use, which requires conditional-use approval in the AB Area Business District. Staff said required parking for the building's tenants is 20 spaces and the site has 21 spaces, though three spaces immediately in front of the service bays cannot be counted toward the required total during operating hours.

The proposal would confine all services to two interior service bays, with the applicant saying only one car would be worked on at a time and appointments would be scheduled. Applicant Mohammed Sufyan said, "we do the interior and the outside of the wash. Nothing. We don't do any oil changes. Nothing." The business lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, and the applicant said there is typically one employee.

Staff said the petitioner already began operating before conditional-use approval was sought and that code enforcement first notified the property owner about a year earlier, in August 2024. Staff recommended approval with conditions that include a ban on motor-vehicle repair at the site and requirements for a six-foot masonry enclosure for refuse that matches the building. The staff presentation also noted the applicant must obtain building permits and a permit from the Fox River Water Reclamation District for any oil/water separator or similar equipment.

Commissioners asked about existing operations and environmental controls. The applicant, Mohammed Sufyan, said a three-bin oil/water separator has not yet been installed and that the business is awaiting permits: "We are waiting for to get a permit from the city so that we can install that 3 bin." He told commissioners vehicles would not be parked overnight outside; cars would be kept inside the garage if a customer could not pick up the vehicle the same day.

The commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval subject to the packet conditions; the motion and findings will be forwarded to city council.

The staff report and recommended conditions remain the governing record for technical requirements, including the refuse enclosure, parking calculations, and the specific prohibition on vehicle repair.