Avon board denies special exception for Wash and Roll car wash at US 36

The Avon Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4-0 to deny a special exception for a proposed Wash and Roll car wash at 6913 East US Highway 36, Lot 3 of Stanfield Crossing, after planning staff and multiple board members said the use would be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan’s Midtown District vision.

Planning staff told the board the site — roughly 1.67 acres just west of the intersection of US 36 and Avon Avenue, adjacent to Circle K and 7 Brew — would be served by a private access drive (Stanfield Way) and configured so vehicles would loop and queue in front of the building. Staff recommended denial, saying the proposal failed to meet required special-exception findings, notably that it would be detrimental to the long-term public welfare by discouraging the pedestrian-oriented redevelopment the comp plan recommends. “We are recommending denial of the special exception,” staff told the board.

The petitioner, Bridal O’Hara, a co-owner of the site, said he and his partner have a long development history in the area and argued the car wash is compatible with the existing commercial pattern. O’Hara said the project includes a walking path and that better pedestrian connectivity depends on adjacent parcel connections, not the single use on this lot. “I respectfully ask that you please approve our special exception request,” O’Hara told the board.

An engineer representing the project, Jordan Baker, described the proposed facility’s throughput and queueing design, saying the wash capacity is roughly 140 cars per hour — about 30 seconds per rotation — and that most of the queue would circulate behind the pay station with exits onto the private drive or Avon Avenue. Baker’s description was offered to address stacking concerns raised by board members.

Board members’ deliberations centered on two competing premises: the site’s present car-oriented character and practical market realities (existing drive-through businesses and heavy traffic counts on US 36 and Avon Avenue) versus the comprehensive plan’s intent to cultivate a walkable, mixed-use Midtown District. Several members said they had no doubt the car wash could meet technical environmental and service requirements but remained concerned about intensity, stacking onto a private street, and the proposal’s incompatibility with the town’s long-range plan.

After deliberation, a board member moved to deny SE 26-01 (Wash and Roll) on the grounds it did not meet required findings under the UDO and state law; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote recorded as four in favor, none opposed. With the denial, staff said the related variance application for development standards was moot and would typically be deemed withdrawn unless the owners objected.

The board concluded its agenda with no additional business and adjourned the meeting.