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Planning commission denies modification to Casaub Travel Center to add express car wash
Summary
The Lake Elsinore Planning Commission rejected staff's recommendation and denied a conditional use permit to replace an approved drive‑through restaurant with a 3,600‑square‑foot express car wash at the Casaub Travel Center, citing traffic, water reuse and intent for RV fueling as concerns.
The Lake Elsinore Planning Commission voted to deny a modification to the previously approved Casaub Travel Center that would have replaced a drive‑through restaurant with a proposed 3,600‑square‑foot express car wash and 15 vacuum spaces.
Nancy Winn, principal planner with the Community Development Department, told commissioners the project site is approximately 2.8 acres at the corner of Collier Avenue and Riverside Drive (also known locally as Highway 74) and that the modification would be a land‑use change for one phase of the approved travel center. Winn said the project required a conditional use permit (CUP) for a new car wash and a commercial design review and that staff prepared an addendum to the prior mitigated negative declaration concluding the change was not a substantial change requiring new environmental review.
Abraham Aga, an applicant partner, said the applicant did not have additional comments beyond the staff report and was available to answer questions.
Commissioner questions and public consideration focused on traffic, water reuse and the original project intent. Commissioners and staff discussed the traffic‑impact analysis baseline (staff noted the prior traffic study dated to March 2019) and whether current conditions and nearby developments (including a Walmart Supercenter) warranted an updated study or addendum. Commissioners raised concerns about queuing and potential spillover of cars into public rights of way.
Several commissioners also urged strong water‑reclamation measures if a car wash were approved. One commissioner asked for a 75% closed‑loop water reclamation condition similar to standards used in other regional jurisdictions; the applicant described using a multi‑compartment reclaim system and clarifier tanks to reuse wash water but did not provide a specific reclaimed‑water performance percentage in the hearing record.
Vice Chair Carroll moved an alternate motion to deny the application; Commissioner Devore seconded the motion. The alternate motion rejecting staff's recommendation carried, recorded in the transcript as "carried" and later announced as "5 of 5." The commission therefore rejected staff's recommendation and denied the CUP and commercial design review for the car wash modification.
Why it matters: The original Casaub approval was presented to support RV fueling and services. Several commissioners said replacing the previously approved drive‑through restaurant with an express car wash changes the long‑term utility of the travel center and may reduce its intended benefit to RV and heavy‑vehicle travelers.
Next steps and limitations: The transcript records the denial and the mover/second but does not include a formal resolution number or the clerk's final roll‑call vote details beyond the tally. The staff file contains the complete traffic study, environmental addendum and the conditions of approval staff had proposed; those documents would show the exact environmental findings staff recommended and any agency conditions referenced in the MSHCP consistency review.
