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Gary council approves amended special-use to allow car wash and auto dealership
Summary
The Gary Common Council voted 6–1 to amend and approve a special-use permit that will allow both a car wash and an auto dealership at the property listed in the petition. Councilmembers and petitioners discussed stormwater compliance and potential conditions during a public hearing before the vote.
The Gary Common Council voted 6–1 to amend and approve a special-use permit to allow a car wash and an auto dealership at the property listed in the petitioner’s application.
The item, filed as CPO 2025-29, was presented during a public hearing in which the petitioner’s representative described the proposed operations and council members asked about site controls, stormwater and enforcement. Council members indicated they could attach conditions when approving the permit.
Councilman Washington, chairing the planning-and-development portion of the meeting, called for discussion after the public hearing and the petitioner’s presentation. Petitioner representative Kimberly Francois explained details of the request and answered procedural questions from council members. A petitioner identified as Mr. Garcia also addressed the council and said, “I take responsibility for that,” when asked to clarify application details.
Council members pressed on whether the car wash would be hand-operated and whether the operation would require stormwater pollution prevention measures; staff said such permits and enforcement mechanisms apply as required by city rules. During the public hearing the clerk reported that one party appeared in favor and no one spoke in opposition.
After discussion the council amended the application to explicitly allow both use types and approved the amended special-use permit on a 6–1 vote. The council confirmed the amended permission would include the ability to add site-specific conditions intended to address impacts such as stormwater management and hours of operation.
The council did not provide a detailed list of conditions at the meeting; members said conditions could be added during follow-up review. The motion as amended was recorded as approved by a 6 yes, 1 no tally.
The petition and the council’s action will return to staff for implementation steps required by the planning department, including any condition language, permitting, and inspections that may be necessary before the uses begin.
