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Search and Architectural Review Subcommittee reviews Classic Car Wash plan for Bascom trellis and shade structures
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Summary
An advisory subcommittee reviewed a conditional use permit (ELN 2019146) for a Classic Car Wash at East Hamilton and Bascom avenues, focusing on a new trellis and tensile shade structures, employee amenities, parking counts and requests for perspective renderings before the Planning Commission review.
The Search and Architectural Review Subcommittee reviewed design details for ELN 2019146, a conditional use permit and site/architectural review for a Classic Car Wash near East Hamilton and Bascom avenues. Staff said the application has "been with our department for quite a while, since 2019," and the subcommittee did not take a formal vote; the item will move later to the Planning Commission with additional materials requested.
The discussion centered on a proposed streetscape feature — a metal trellis and seating cut into a berm along Bascom — and a series of engineered tensile shade structures behind it that the applicant proposes to use for car detailing. The Presenter described the shading as an employee-safety measure, saying, "We're trying to eliminate what's called an urban heat island," and added the tensile structures are durable and intended to improve working conditions.
Committee members pressed the applicant for clearer visual information. One Committee member said, "I think I would feel better about this seeing it depicted," asking for perspective renderings that show how the trellis and multiple shade canopies will read from the sidewalk and for drivers approaching on Bascom. Staff and the Presenter agreed a 3-D perspective or mock-up would help the subcommittee evaluate how the elements will look at street level and whether color, material and scale are appropriate in the existing context.
Parking and circulation also drew scrutiny. The packet lists "11 parking stalls generally for employee use, and 1 ADA accessible stall," and the applicant asked the subcommittee to consider declassifying some stalls given the site's proximity to transit and the car-wash operation's circulation patterns. Staff noted the project includes a detailed circulation plan intended to keep vehicle flows separate from pedestrian movements and said mechanical systems such as vacuum piping are being routed into attic spaces to reduce visible equipment.
Design trade-offs and materials were a recurring theme. Several members said the tensile structures — described by the Presenter as similar to those at large venues like Shoreline — could appear sterile in photos and urged the applicant to propose colors and finishes that better integrate with the neighboring Delta Queen building and mature street trees. The Presenter said the owner preferred metal framing for durability and to avoid the maintenance and degradation that wood trellises can suffer in high-heat exposure.
Staff reiterated that the subcommittee is advisory and that the application remains under review: conditions of approval are being developed and the item is not yet scheduled for Planning Commission. The subcommittee asked the applicant to provide rendered perspectives, confirm final color and fabric choices, and supply clearer depictions of the trellis and clustered shade structures ahead of the Planning Commission hearing, which staff said would likely occur in the coming two to four weeks.
The meeting closed with staff and applicants agreeing to return to Planning with the requested visual materials and more detailed information on how the trellis, shade structures and landscape treatment will be integrated with pedestrian access and the public right-of-way.
