Commissioners review car‑wash zoning changes including a new 1‑acre minimum and market‑study requirement

Planning staff presented several changes to Section 6.02(d) of the zoning ordinance aimed at addressing recent growth in car‑wash development. Among the revisions, staff said, the minimum lot area would increase from 15,000 square feet to 1 acre (43,560 square feet), building/vacuuming/drying provisions would be separated into distinct subsections, and drying and vacuum equipment would be required to meet existing noise standards in Section 7.02(a).

Patrick told the commission the three major items they have discussed are market‑study provisions for new car‑wash special‑land‑use applications, a possible performance guarantee or bond to address demolition/decommissioning if a site sits vacant, and specific placement/orientation rules for vacuum and drying stations. “We’ve increased the minimum lot area from 15,000 square feet to 1 acre, which is 43,560 square feet,” he said. On the bond question, Patrick said he had asked legal counsel for guidance and would report back to the commission before any requirement is finalized.

Commissioners explored alternatives used elsewhere — caps on the overall number of car washes or minimum separation distances — but staff said those approaches can be arbitrary and difficult to justify without supporting market data. The commission asked staff to search for model ordinances, and several members suggested folding a decommissioning plan into any performance guarantee rather than assuming demolition as the default remedy.

Next steps: staff will continue research on market‑study examples and follow up with legal counsel about performance guarantees; car‑wash text may return for a public hearing depending on findings.