Planning commissioners recommend permit for Charlie's Car Wash to add outdoor vacuum stations

The Lee's Summit Planning Commission voted June 12 to recommend approval of a special use permit that would allow Charlie's Car Wash at 950 NW Chipman Road to add outdoor customer vacuum stations.

Don Boos, director of real estate for Charlie's Car Wash and Blue Beacon Inc., told the commission the company is seeking to add 16 interior vacuum bays (nine along the north property line and seven adjacent to the building) and a small masonry equipment building to house a central vacuum system. "We're trying to react to our customers' needs and demands," Boos said, explaining that customer expectations have shifted toward having vacuum access at car washes. He also told commissioners the vacuums will be free to customers: "They're free."

Hector So to Jr, senior planner for the city, said the existing full-service facility has operated for about 10 years and that the proposal is limited to outdoor equipment. "The proposed vacuums kick it over to requiring a Special Use Permit," he said, explaining the city's ordinance requires review of outdoor equipment because of potential impacts such as noise or trash. Staff's preliminary development plan showed conversion of 22 on-site parking spaces to 16 vacuum bays, leaving 11 on-site spaces; the applicant negotiated a perpetual easement for 29 additional spaces on adjacent SpiroCare property and provided a pedestrian path intended to allow employees to walk safely between the off-site lot and the car wash.

Commissioners asked about accessibility, traffic circulation and operational details. Commissioner Benbrook asked whether the pedestrian route to the off-site parking was ADA-compliant; Hector said two ADA spaces remain on-site and staff would verify whether the off-site route meets ADA standards. Commissioners also questioned whether adding vacuum bays would create stacking or circulation problems; Boos and staff said the design provides turning movements and stacking comparable to big-box retail centers and noted several of the company's other locations operate with similar constraints. On after-hours use, Boos said the central vacuum system will be shut down outside operating hours so vacuums cannot be used.

Several commissioners praised the applicant's upkeep of the site and the company's staffing. Commissioner Frasier said she frequents the location and found employees "very polite, very professional," and Commissioner Trafton thanked the applicant for landscaping and property maintenance along the Highway 50 corridor.

A motion to recommend approval of the special use permit application (recorded in meeting materials as PL2025-081 for Charlie's Car Wash, 950 NW Chipman Road) was made, seconded and passed with recorded 'Yes' votes from Sherry Frazier, Terry Trafton, Dana Arth, Jessica Grenell, Chip Tazinski and Randy Bembrooke. The commission's action was to recommend approval to the next decision-making step per the city's review process.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (five items including vacation of easements PL2025-073, PL2025-094, PL2025-013, final plat PL2024-120 and approval of the 05/22/2025 action letter): approved (unanimous). - Application PL2025-081 — Special Use Permit for Car Wash with outdoor facilities (Charlie's Car Wash, 950 NW Chipman Road): motion to recommend approval passed (recorded yes votes: Sherry Frazier; Terry Trafton; Dana Arth; Jessica Grenell; Chip Tazinski; Randy Bembrooke).

What happens next The Planning Commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the City decision body (per the city's process) for final action and any conditions. The applicant requested a 20-year permit term; staff indicated support for the requested period based on comparable permits but noted that time-limited conditions are commonly applied. The meeting record shows the public hearing drew no public comments and that staff entered exhibits 1–18 into the record.

Reporting note: transcript and meeting materials list the application as PL2025-081 in the public hearing notice; a later motion in the minutes contains slightly different spacing/numbering for the file number but the application materials filed with the record identify the item as PL2025-081.