Planning Commission opens public hearing on proposed L Club Car Wash at 22230 Woodward Avenue

The Planning Commission on Wednesday opened a public hearing on a special land use application and a site plan for a proposed L Club Car Wash at 22230 Woodward Avenue. The commission approved its agenda and tabled approval of draft minutes before taking up the car-wash application.

City staff presented background on the property. "This is a public hearing for the L Club Car Wash located at 22230 Woodward Avenue," city staff Roger Caruso said, and he told commissioners the proposal includes both a special land use and a site plan. Caruso said the special land use decision is a recommendation from the Planning Commission to City Council, while the site plan decision "does rest with the planning commission."

Caruso said the site sits at the southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and College Street, with University (Avenue) to the south, and that the property is zoned C2 (general commercial) and TOD (transit oriented development). He told the commission the application was submitted in 2024 under the previous zoning code and that the city adopted a new zoning code in December 2024; because the application predates that change, the dimensional standards and criteria that apply are those in effect when the application was filed.

Staff showed current and historic images of the parcel and described its recent use history, saying the site previously functioned as a drive‑through and that the photo on the screen was from August 2025. Caruso also pointed out nearby businesses, mentioning Horton's and Cold Stone Creamery adjacent to the parcel. He said a green outline on the plan depicts a vacant area to the east that is proposed to be used for customer parking, and that a green rectangle marks the main proposed development area fronting Woodward.

No formal action on the special land use or site plan was taken at Wednesday's meeting; the commission heard the staff overview and expected a presentation from applicants and a public comment period to follow. The special land use, if recommended by the Planning Commission, will advance to a future City Council public hearing for final action; the site-plan approval would be decided by the Planning Commission at this hearing.

Procedural items earlier in the meeting included a motion to excuse Commissioner Showalter (moved by Commissioner Azar, seconded by Commissioner Brazen) and a motion to accept the agenda (moved by Commissioner Azar, seconded by Commissioner Newman). The commission also voted to table approval of draft minutes from May 14 to the next meeting pending a suggested edit from Councilor Pollack.

Next steps: applicants will present the proposal and the commission will accept public comment during the hearing; the Planning Commission will make a site-plan decision at this meeting and may make a recommendation on the special land use that would go to City Council for final action.