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Converse commission deadlocks on car-wash special-use permit after residents, commissioners raise water and traffic concerns
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission tied on a vote to add an automatic tunnel car wash at 8314 FM 78, resulting in a recommendation of denial. Staff described noise mitigation and a reclaimed-water system; the developer said the site would use about 20–26 gallons per vehicle. Concerns centered on traffic, density of existing car washes and water use.
The Converse Planning and Zoning Commission failed to advance a special-use permit for an automatic tunnel-style car wash proposed at 8314 FM 78 after a tie vote during its Dec. 16 meeting.
Staff presented the proposal as an amendment to an existing special-use permit for automobile and motorcycle sales on a 4.867-acre site, saying the project would replat Lots 2 and 3, site the tunnel near FM 78, and include design features to limit noise and manage stormwater. Assistant City Manager Nina Nixon Mendez told commissioners the design uses a reclamation and recycling process and cited manufacturer figures that the system uses about 20–26 gallons per vehicle on average compared with higher household-washing estimates.
Residents and several commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on traffic queuing, parking and water use. An unidentified resident said the city already has many car washes and opposed adding another, and another commenter raised questions about stacking and whether the proposal would worsen traffic at the Walmart/Loop 1604 commercial corridor.
Developer Russell Nelson of Lone Star Builders and the operating brand said his company’s systems reclaim most wash water on-site and that the facility has been engineered with stacking capacity and extra vacuum stalls to avoid driveway backup. "The net water use is about 20, 25 to 26 gallons per car," Nelson said, describing reclaimed-water reuse in prewash and mixing. He added the company analyzes traffic and population and tries to engineer sites to avoid congestion.
After public comment and questioning about whether the use would run with the land, compatibility with surrounding uses and coordination with TxDOT on ingress and egress, commissioners took a roll-call vote that resulted in a tie. Under commission procedure, a tie is a recommendation for denial; the motion to approve failed.
The commission did not adopt conditions or amendments on the car-wash request at the meeting; a tie vote means the item will be forwarded to city council with the commission’s recommendation. Staff noted the project would still need building permits and TxDOT approvals where applicable.
Next procedural steps were not set on the record; the commission moved on to other agenda items.
