Planning commission recommends approval of Flagstaff automated car wash at Ladysmith Crossing

The Caroline County Planning Commission voted to forward SPEX042025 — a special-exception request from Flagstaff for an automated vehicle wash in the Ladysmith Crossing shopping center — to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval and the staff-recommended conditions.

Planning staff said the proposal depicts a 3,200-square-foot single-tunnel car wash with two pay stations, vacuum stations inside the site, a required attendant on site during operation, and landscaping and lighting designed to meet the Highway Corridor Overlay District (HCOD) standards. The parcel will be accessed by a right-in/right-out from Ladysmith Road and by an internal access drive that connects to New Green Road as development continues.

Craig Pennington, county planning staff, told commissioners that public utilities, VDOT and the Virginia Department of Health supplied outstanding agency comments that will be resolved at site-plan review. Pennington also noted HCOD lighting restrictions limit illumination at property lines to 0.5 foot-candles or less.

Attorney Mike Rothermel, representing Flagstaff, introduced Jamie Nestor, Flagstaff’s president and CEO, and Steve King, the project civil engineer. Jamie Nestor said Flagstaff expects the site to wash between 250 and 300 cars per day at full capacity after ramp-up; the company reported recycling between 50% and 80% of water on its sites. The applicant described a three-tank reclaim system (three 2,000-gallon tanks, for a total of about 6,000 gallons) and said nonreclaimed water would flow to the county wastewater-treatment system per normal utility procedures.

Commissioners asked about pedestrian safety along the shared-use path, access and circulation from Route 1, drainage and the required 20-foot HCOD planting buffer; Pennington and the applicant said VDOT-approved crossing and infrastructure plans show the shared-use path and crosswalk and that landscaping meets HCOD requirements (canopy trees, understory trees and shrubs). Pennington noted utilities reviewers will require identification of detergents and prohibit “false state” soaps as a condition of final approval.

After questions, Commissioner Steve Rollins moved to forward SPEX042025 to the Board of Supervisors with the attached staff conditions; the motion was seconded by Commissioner J.D. Young and passed by voice vote. The commission’s action is a recommendation; final approval rests with the Board of Supervisors and technical site-plan and permitting reviews.