The Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission on a unanimous vote approved a special permit allowing an existing car wash at 186 Westport Avenue to add brake-replacement services and be designated for motor-vehicle repair use. The decision followed a public hearing during which the applicant said the operation would not change the building or hours.

The permit establishes the car wash’s current oil-change business and new brake-replacement service as authorized motor-vehicle repair uses at the site. Craig or Morris Pitt, representing 48 Westport Avenue LLC, told commissioners the request was largely administrative: “we just wanna add on the brake service,” and that the firm sought the special permit “just to make it clean.” He said there would be no site changes: “Nothing to the building is changing.”

Neighbors raised concerns about hours and after-hours activity near the site. A nearby resident asked whether brake work would follow the existing schedule and whether weekend work would be added. The applicant replied that hours would match current operations and that the facility “will not be working Sundays.” The applicant also said he would address neighbors’ reports of employees lingering and playing music after hours: “I will take care of that. I will have a talk with the general manager there and make sure we resolve that issue.”

Commissioners discussed whether to add an explicit conditions clause requiring strict adherence to the posted hours. Staff and a commissioner noted that occasional employees socializing after hours is difficult to enforce through zoning and that existing city noise rules would apply if activities became loud: the panel declined to add a separate hours-enforcement clause to the permit language.

After public comment and the applicant’s responses, Commissioner Richard Lewis moved to approve and another commissioner seconded. The commission took a roll call and the motion passed. The commission chair then declared, “That matter passes. Congratulations, mister Pitt.”

The action authorizes the motor-vehicle repair use at 186 Westport Avenue as described in the application; no building alterations were approved and no change to the site layout was proposed. Any future physical changes would require the appropriate building or site permits.