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Developers preview proposed Dorset Crossing car wash; commissioners press on queuing and stormwater
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Summary
Developers presented a preliminary plan for a 7,500 sq ft car wash at Dorset Crossing with a tunnel, self‑serve bays and vacuums; engineers described queue capacity and an eject lane to avoid off‑site queuing, and the team said gray‑water recycling and existing stormwater features will be used.
At a pre‑application session the commission heard a preliminary presentation for a proposed car wash at the Dorset Crossing pad site. The presentation was informational only — no vote was taken — and the team sought early feedback on circulation, queuing and landscaping.
Attorney Dwight Mariam introduced the developer (Rodney Goldberg) and the project team. Brandon Hanfield, a professional engineer with Yantic River Consultants, explained site orientation, a single controlled driveway with counterclockwise circulation, a double‑stacked queueing lane into the tunnel (engineer estimated tunnel throughput at roughly one car every 2–2.5 minutes, or about 30 cars per hour), and a separate bypass/eject lane so queuing vehicles can leave the queue without blocking other site movements.
Hanfield said the design uses much of the original development's catch basins (installed with the original PAD) and that impervious area for the proposed car wash is less than the prior approved plan. He also said Colchester operations for the same owner use gray‑water recycling; the team noted recycling systems can reduce water discharged to sewer and that specific calculations will be provided with formal submissions.
Landscape architect (speaker identified as Bish) outlined a planting plan that includes roughly 23 trees and 139 plants overall, mostly native species, designed to block headlights and provide a durable street edge while accommodating utilities. Commissioners repeatedly asked for worst‑case queueing scenarios and noted that police, engineering and staff will closely review queue justification at the formal submission stage to avoid spill‑out onto Dorset Crossing and neighboring driveways.
Because this was a preliminary PAD review, staff encouraged the team to refine queueing, hours of operation and stormwater calculations before a formal application is submitted. Commissioners expressed generally positive reactions to the design and the landscaping approach but emphasized careful traffic and queue analysis.
