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Planning Commission approves conditional use permit for automatic drive‑through car wash at 4060 Sterling Way
Summary
The commission approved a conditional use permit for an automatic drive‑through car wash to be added to an existing hand‑wash, oil‑change and convenience market site at 4060 Sterling Way, with operating-hour and noise limitations included as conditions of approval.
The Baldwin Park Planning Commission voted to approve Conditional Use Permit CP 24‑02 allowing an automatic drive‑through car wash at 4060 Sterling Way, within the Downtown Edge zoning district. The existing hand‑wash car wash, oil‑change bay and convenience market will remain in place, and the applicant proposes adding an automatic car wash service as an additional operation.
Staff described the site as a 0.39‑acre parcel currently occupied by a hand‑wash car wash and related uses. The applicant’s operations plan states the business will operate in two modes: manual hand wash from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with no more than five employees on site) and automatic/express wash from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (with no more than two employees on site). Staff included conditions limiting nighttime noise and requiring ongoing maintenance of new fabric awnings; violation of conditions could lead to revocation of the permit.
Applicant representative Vartan Garpetian said the owners (identified in the record as Joe and Coco) have operated at the site for more than 20 years and plan the upgrade to meet current customer demand. Garpetian told the commission the owner intends to retain existing employees; during the hearing he said, “We are going to retain all of our employees” and described a multi‑stage plan to expand express-wash hours in the future pending staff review.
Why it matters: The conditional use permit allows a change in operations at an established commercial site in downtown Baldwin Park. Staff found the project categorically exempt from CEQA under Guidelines §15303 (small structures) and attached conditions to address noise and operations. The commission approved Resolution PC 25‑02 authorizing CP 24‑02.
Ending: The permit contains specific operational hours and staffing limits and includes a revocation clause for conditions violations; the applicant may return to staff/commission in the future to expand express‑wash hours with additional review.
