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Planning Commission approves automated car wash on Whittier Boulevard with post‑occupancy noise monitoring
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Summary
The Planning Commission approved an automated drive‑through car wash at 15100 Whittier Boulevard, imposing operating hours of 7 a.m.–9 p.m. and a new condition requiring a licensed post‑occupancy noise study 12 months after certificate of occupancy; the director may require mitigation if operations exceed applicable noise limits.
The Whittier Planning Commission approved Development Review Project DRP23‑057 and Conditional Use Permit CUP23‑004 to allow an automated drive‑through car wash at 15100 Whittier Boulevard, with operating hours set at 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and an added post‑occupancy noise‑monitoring condition.
Why it mattered: Neighbors and nearby businesses told the commission the site — proposed for a 5,400‑square‑foot tunnel wash with 19 vacuum stations and an on‑site queuing area — will increase traffic on Cole Road and Jupiter Street and create sustained noise from blowers and vacuums. Dozens of residents signed a petition and multiple speakers said similar car wash operations had created persistent noise and queuing problems elsewhere on Whittier Boulevard.
What the record shows: Staff and the applicant submitted a traffic memorandum and a noise study. The traffic memorandum (Kimley‑Horn) estimated a net increase of 47 AM peak‑hour trips and a decrease of two PM peak‑hour trips compared with the prior Office Depot land use; staff concluded the net change did not meet the local threshold that would trigger a full traffic study. The acoustical consultant (LSA) modeled worst‑case continuous blower and vacuum operation and produced CNEL contours showing the 65 dB CNEL contour about 135 feet from the nearest southern residences. The applicant proposed multiple mitigation measures: roofed vacuum enclosures, an 8‑foot screening fence along the southern property line, mufflers on vacuum equipment and air gates on blowers to reduce blower runtime and noise.
Public concerns and applicant response: Nearby residents and managers (Jupiter Street and adjacent commercial property owners) described queuing and backing issues near the Whittier Boulevard/McDonald’s intersection and said they could hear blower/vacuum noise from existing car washes. The applicant, Mr. Car Wash (Chris Campbell), said the company designs stores to limit overflow onto public roads, provided a queuing analysis (22 vehicles before point‑of‑sale; up to 38 before tunnel entry per applicant figures), and emphasized that the LSA modeling used conservative, continuous‑operation assumptions. Mr. Car Wash representatives said their business invests in mufflers, roofed vacuums and a landscaping buffer and that most U.S. locations operate safely with similar layouts.
Condition added: Commissioners approved the project but required the operator to submit a noise study prepared by a licensed noise professional between 12 and 15 months after the certificate of occupancy. The director of community development may require “prompt and diligent” mitigation if the study finds ongoing noncompliance; mitigation may include additional buffering, landscaping, walls or fences. The project’s final conditions also tie the approvals to the site plan reviewed by the commission; significant changes would require a return to the city.
Vote and procedural notes: The motion passed with Commissioner Connolly recorded as abstaining; other members voted yes. Several commissioners noted the difference between quasi‑judicial findings for this individual site and any broader, legislative action to limit car washes across Whittier Boulevard (that would require a moratorium or code change by the City Council).
What’s next: If the applicant proceeds, building and grading permits will be required and the community should expect the post‑occupancy noise study filing roughly one year after the facility opens. The director of community development will review the study and may require additional mitigation if necessary.
