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Planning board approves change of use for Sunbrook Valley automotive detailing; limits on on-site washing
Summary
The board approved a change of use allowing interior automotive detailing and related minor add-ons at a Route 28 property, while recording conditions to prevent it from operating as a drive-through car wash and to address runoff and septic concerns.
The Alton Town Planning Board voted to approve case P25-27 on Sept. 16, 2025, allowing a change of use at a commercial property on Sunbrook Valley Road, near Route 28, to a facility limited to automotive detailing and related limited add-on work. The board’s approval includes conditions intended to prevent the site from functioning as a full car-wash facility and to ensure stormwater and septic issues are addressed.
Applicant Jeff Green described the request as an update of a previously approved plan (the site formerly hosted a used-car dealership). He told the board the primary activity will be interior and exterior detailing done inside the building and that “99% of it is done inside the shop.” Green and other speakers said the business may perform small, aftermarket add-ons (for example, running boards or trim) but will not conduct motor mechanical repairs such as oil changes.
Conservation and neighborhood concerns focused on water and runoff. A resident told the board she observed sandblasting and exterior washing in the past and said runoff had reached the gravel between the building and Route 28. The applicant said the sandblasting operator had since left the site and that detailing activity is primarily interior or mobile. Planning staff noted the zoning board’s prior action placed a restriction that vehicle washing be limited and that any vehicle washing beyond an off-site arrangement would require further review.
The board’s conditions require: compliance with a septic inspection reported to the town, adherence to the zoning-board limits (detailing only; no mechanical car-wash use), and that any future changes in use or mechanical washing be brought back to the board. The applicant provided details about hours (applicant suggested up to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday–Saturday) and said detailing is by appointment.
At the public meeting the board also reviewed shoreland and setback considerations. Staff advised that shoreland permitting is triggered by physical changes to the ground; the applicant said no grading or expansion is proposed and that existing contours and spot elevations remain. The applicant supplied a septic inspection and indicated dry-well and leach-field locations on the site plan for staff review.
The board approved the application with the stated conditions. A motion to approve case P25-27 with conditions carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes.
