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Council asks staff to draft ordinance after noise complaints about unattended car wash near townhomes
Summary
Council directed staff and the city attorney to draft a code amendment after continued resident complaints about noise from an unattended car wash adjacent to townhomes; staff said the facility’s measured decibel levels were within the city’s noise ordinance during inspection.
City Council heard resident complaints and staff updates about noise and quality-of-life problems tied to an unattended car wash adjacent to a row of townhomes and directed staff to draft a code amendment to address car-wash operations near residences.
What happened
Staff and Police Department personnel told the council they had worked with the car-wash owner and the owner voluntarily limited the automatic-wash operations to 11 p.m.–6 a.m. to reduce late-night noise. Police said they took decibel readings at the property line and found the facility in compliance with the city’s noise ordinance during those measurements.
Council members said that, despite measured compliance, nearby residents remain disturbed by late-night activity, including noise from customers, music and voices. Several council members urged an earlier closing hour and a uniform rule that would apply to future unattended car-wash facilities near residential neighborhoods.
Why it matters: The site in question is, as one council member put it, “the only unattended car wash that is in the city” and is sited very close to townhome backyards; councilmembers said that placement increases the facility’s quality-of-life impact on neighbors.
Key details
- Current voluntary hours: The car-wash owner limited automatic-wash operations to 11 p.m.–6 a.m.; staff emphasized this is self-imposed compliance rather than an enforceable code change.
- City noise ordinance: Council reviewed the city’s noise ordinance window. Staff said the ordinance’s nighttime enforcement period runs 10 p.m.–7 a.m., and that the measured decibel readings at the property line were within the ordinance limits during inspection.
- Buffer and façade options: Staff said they had referred the owner to the city’s economic development office and that the owner was informed about facade/landscaping grant options in June to add screening between the facility and adjacent residences.
Council direction and next steps
Council asked the city attorney and staff to draft a code amendment that would address operating hours and other facility requirements for car washes, particularly unattended facilities sited near residential areas. One council member recommended the ordinance be tailored to proximity (for example, within a specified distance of residential property) rather than a one-size-fits-all rule that would automatically apply to all car washes.
Police chief comment
The police chief told council that noise measurements taken at the property line were in compliance with the current noise ordinance, but also acknowledged residents’ persistent disturbance even when measured noise levels do not exceed the legal threshold.
Ending note
Council directed staff to draft proposed regulations and to return with a draft ordinance and a schedule for a public hearing so residents can comment. No ordinance was introduced or adopted at the meeting.
