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Plan Commission approves Tommy’s Express car wash at 1700 South Keeler Street; vote 7‑1 after corridor concerns
Summary
The Oshkosh Plan Commission approved a specific implementation plan for a 5,270‑square‑foot drive‑through Tommy’s Express car wash with 20 vacuum stations and altered material and landscaping standards; the motion passed 7‑1 after one commissioner opposed the location of the drive‑through on a major corridor.
The Oshkosh City Plan Commission approved, by a 7‑1 vote, a specific implementation plan (SIP) for a proposed Tommy’s Express drive‑through car wash at 1700 South Keeler Street. The project would reuse the former Applebee’s site and convert it into a 5,270‑square‑foot high‑speed car wash with 20 vacuum stations and up to 50 parking spaces (30 marked parking spaces plus 20 vacuum stalls).
Planning staff told the commission the common council already approved a general development plan in April and that the SIP proposes to keep an eastern row of existing parking (which results in 50 parking stalls where the SMU district’s typical maximum is 25). The applicant requested a BSM for increased parking and for placing required street‑frontage plantings slightly farther than 10 feet from the right‑of‑way due to Public Works’ request to avoid conflicts with city utilities along Kohler Street. Staff said the plan otherwise meets setback requirements except for some existing pavement that slightly encroaches into a five‑foot setback. The project proposes a ground sign and a standard Tommy’s Express sign package; signs shown meet SMU code limits.
The building elevations call for a mix of finished metal panel, Nichiha (fiber cement) panel, brick and storefront glazing. Commercial design standards require facades to be at least 50% Class‑1 materials; the applicant requested BSMs to allow Class‑1 materials to be reduced to 43% on the west (Kohler/Keeler) elevation and to 7% on the north (Osborne Avenue) elevation. Staff recommended approval, noting the applicant exceeds street frontage landscaping point requirements along Osborne Avenue and proposes medium‑tree points to compensate for reduced Class‑1 facade coverage. Staff described Nichiha fiber cement as a high‑quality, durable material the city has used previously and said the combination of brick, glazing and Nichiha would comprise about 56% of the total facade materials on the west elevation.
Peter Schwabe, the applicant’s representative, told the commission he had worked closely with staff and expects the project to meet code and be appropriate for the community. During discussion Council member Buelow asked whether approving this project makes sense when an existing car wash property is also on the market; Schwabe replied that the owner (the Killian family) performed market studies and that Tommy’s membership model and location strategy have been successful in other communities.
One Plan Commission member spoke against the approval on policy grounds, saying they view the proposal as a drive‑through facility and that permitting a drive‑through that fronts a major corridor is not something they generally support. Chairman Perry cast the lone no vote in the roll call. The motion carried 7‑1.
Votes at a glance - Item 4 (Specific Implementation Plan for a drive‑through car wash at 1700 South Keeler Street): Motion to adopt the findings and recommendations as stated in the staff report — Passed 7‑1 (Miss Sherman: Aye; Miss Pracht: Aye; Mister Pollock: Aye; Council member Bulow: Aye; Mister Rucker: Aye; Miss Davey: Aye; Mister Lowenstein: Aye; Chairman Perry: No).
The SIP approval includes conditions and BSM allowances to be enforced during final sign and building permits; stormwater, queuing, and detailed signage will be reviewed during the building permit and sign permit processes.
