Gurnee planning board backs special-use recommendation for hand car wash at 3590 Grand Avenue

The Village of Gurnee Planning and Zoning Board on March 6 voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the village board for a special-use permit allowing Impulsive Details, operated by Andrew Perez, to run a hand car wash and detailing business at 3590 Grand Avenue.

The recommendation, made after a public hearing and neighborhood comment, includes multiple conditions: all vehicles must be serviced inside the building; the operation is to be appointment only; the north garage door must remain closed during operations except when units exit; a required 14-space parking count must be provided and seven proposed rear parking spaces must be striped 9 feet by 18 feet; two tandem spaces are allowed for queuing outside the service area; proposed rooftop solar panels must be screened; and building and sign permits are required prior to exterior work. The board’s motion also requires the applicant to close the south access from Belle Plaine Avenue.

Why it mattered: neighbors said the site sits at a signalized intersection used as a residential cut-through and expressed concerns about additional stacking on Grand Avenue and Bell Plaine, noise from pressure washers and ShopVacs, and potential runoff from detailing chemicals. Board members and staff pressed the applicant on traffic flow, hours, equipment and wastewater handling.

Applicant and operation details Andrew Perez, the petitioner, told the board his plan is an appointment-only, hand-wash and detailing shop offering ceramic coating and window tinting. “My name is Andrew Perez. The subject property is 3590 Grand Avenue in Gurnee, Illinois 60031,” Perez said during sworn testimony. He said the business will use hand, eco-friendly products, will not install heavy machinery, and expects to service customers in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Traffic, parking and access Several residents said Belle Plaine Avenue and the Grand Avenue intersection already experience cut-through traffic and occasional collisions. “Belleplain Avenue is a street that leads directly to residential homes. There's a day care right down that street, many different school bus stops, a children's park,” said resident Jory Stockwish, who lives at 987 Belle Plain and described frequent cut-through traffic and school-related pick-up and drop-off activity.

Board members and staff asked whether the business would accept drive-ins. Perez said appointment-only service is the operator’s goal and that the application text would be amended to reflect that. Staff and the applicant agreed to require the appointment-only restriction as a condition of recommendation. The applicant also agreed to close the south driveway onto Belle Plaine to reduce confusion near the intersection.

Noise and operations Board members asked about pressure washers and ShopVacs. Perez said pressure washers and ShopVacs will be used; he agreed to operational limits, including keeping the north garage door closed during operations except to exit vehicles, to limit noise reaching nearby homes. Resident Becky Coetzinas and others noted houses are adjacent to the commercial block and testified noise had been audible from nearby businesses.

Stormwater and wastewater Planning staff said floor drains in the building will connect to the sanitary sewer and the North Shore Water Reclamation plant for treatment before discharge to the Des Plaines River. The applicant said vehicles would be towel-dried on exit to reduce wet pavement leaving the site.

Vote and next steps The board voted to forward a favorable recommendation with the conditions described above; the motion carried. The recommendation will be transmitted to the Village Board for final action, and staff will notify the applicant of the village board hearing date.

Community reaction and context Neighbors and the building owner offered contrasting views: residents emphasized pedestrian and child-safety concerns around Belle Plaine and asked for firm operational conditions; the owner of 3590 Grand Avenue, Lane Moyer, said the center has been vacant since 2022 and called a low-impact, appointment-only hand-wash an appropriate tenant for the site.

The village’s zoning context Staff said the proposed use requires a special-use permit in the C-2 East Grand Gateway Overlay District; the board’s action is a recommendation to the Village Board on that special-use request.

Ending Because the board’s vote was a recommendation, final authority rests with the Village Board. Staff will return to the applicant with dates for the village board hearing and with a checklist of required permits and submittals.