Kaysville council adopts car-wash standards, bars new washes near homes

KAYSVILLE, Utah — The Kaysville City Council on Thursday enacted a new ordinance setting citywide standards for car washes and restricting where new facilities may locate.

The ordinance, adopted after a council discussion and a single friendly amendment, prohibits new car washes east of Interstate 15 and bars car-wash facilities within 300 feet of a residential zone or residential use measured in a straight line from property boundary to property boundary. The council also added language to protect nonconforming residential uses from being excluded by the new rule.

City community development staff said the measure responds to recent complaints about noise, vacuum-station sound and queuing that spills onto streets. "The ordinance that's before you this evening is quite simple," Community Development Director Melinda said, describing the components staff researched from other Utah and out-of-state cities. She told the council staff recommends requirements such as onsite attendants for automatic tunnel washes, vacuum stations with on/off switches and adequate vehicle stacking so waiting cars do not block public roads.

The ordinance specifically restricts car washes east of I-15 because staff found a saturation of vehicle-centered businesses in that part of the city. The measure also would make any existing car wash east of I-15 a legal nonconforming use; those businesses may continue to operate but would not be allowed to expand their footprint in ways that violate the ordinance.

Council members pressed staff on measurement details and possible impacts. Melinda said the 300-foot buffer was chosen after reviewing other cities and comparing measured distances around recently opened local car washes. "Those distances were consistent with right around 300 feet as well," she said. When Council Member Adams asked how the 300 feet would be measured, Melinda explained the city would measure from existing lot line to lot line because applicants frequently do not provide a final building footprint at the rezoning or inquiry stage.

Council Member Oakes proposed removing the word "conforming" so that residential uses that are already nonconforming would also be protected; Oakes described the amendment as intended to protect neighbors in older areas. The council accepted that friendly amendment and then voted to adopt Title 17, Chapter 38, Car Wash Standards. Several council members voted aye; the motion carried.

What the ordinance does not do: it does not rezone property, does not force property owners to sell, and does not change tax rates. Staff told the council that if a car wash exists and later a neighboring property rezones to residential, that rezoning would follow the standard public process and the ordinance would apply based on the order of events (existing car wash vs. later development). Melinda said upgrades and routine maintenance of existing nonconforming car washes would be allowed; large expansions that increase the facility footprint likely would not.

The council asked that the city consider development-agreement requirements (for example, fences or other site-specific conditions) on a case-by-case basis if a car wash developer seeks public incentives or larger encroaching projects. The measure had been recommended unanimously, 6–0, by the Planning Commission.

The council’s action establishes a new regulatory framework for car washes in Kaysville and will guide reviews of future proposals under the city's zoning code. For now, existing car wash businesses within the restricted area may remain as legal nonconforming uses but would face limits if they sought to expand.

Looking ahead: Staff said enforcement and precise measurement guidance will be clarified in administrative procedures; any future requests for variances or rezonings would be processed through the normal public hearing steps.