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Wheat Ridge neighbors press city to act on noise from new Auto Wash; council, owner to meet
Summary
Residents near a new Auto Wash on 44th Avenue urged Wheat Ridge City officials to require operational changes after months of loud dryer and door noise; staff and councilors said they will meet with the business and noted the owner has volunteered to close overnight from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Several Wheat Ridge residents described ongoing noise from the new Auto Wash on 44th Avenue and Grama Street and urged the city to force compliance with existing permits and noise rules.
At public comment, Gretchen Josten said the business remains out of compliance with a June finding and asked the city to "implement closure of Auto Wash until they are in compliance with their outstanding noncompliance issue" related to door operations. Multiple neighbors said the dryers and bay doors are loud enough to be heard inside homes and businesses across the street and that a business‑provided sound study did not reflect day‑to‑day conditions.
Austin Caldwell told the council "deceit is the only word to describe their operation," saying the shop had previously operated 24 hours and reopened with ongoing noise problems. Jan Fasinelli, a veterinary consultant who shares a fence with the car wash, said a fence recently installed "is not a sound fence" and that sound passes over and through walls and windows.
Residents proposed straightforward fixes, including closing the north‑facing bay doors during dryer operation or offering a no‑dryer package at that site. Scott Galloway and others said if the business cannot meet decibel limits, it should stop using blowers that create the loudest impact.
Councilor Rachel Holting said staff and councilor Scott Ohm have been in communication with the business and neighbors and would hold a meeting to explore options. Holting added that "the car wash has volunteered to close, between 10PM and 7AM, so it is not a 24 hour business," a temporary step staff flagged as part of ongoing discussions.
City staff did not make a final enforcement announcement at the meeting; councilors said they would review the permit, the city's noncompliance findings from June and options such as operational limits, additional monitoring, or code enforcement. Neighbors said they want a durable, enforceable fix rather than repeated short‑term adjustments.
