Jasper board approves setback variance for Newton Street car wash

The City of Jasper Board of Zoning Appeals voted Aug. 5 to grant a development-standard variance that will allow the car wash at 3106 Newton Street to reconfigure two bays into a single longer automatic bay, moving part of the building several feet closer to the highway.

Petitioner Derek Rieser said the facility’s older equipment cannot accommodate larger modern vehicles and that updating to new automatic equipment requires expanding the bay. “I own Discover Dev Car Wash at 3106 Newton Street,” Rieser said, explaining that two doors will be removed and the building footprint lengthened slightly to fit modern equipment. He told the board the change would not extend the building past the front of the neighboring Citco building.

A nearby property owner, Fred Harder of 120 East 31st Street, voiced concern about any eastward expansion toward the alley and about prior encroachments on his property line. “I’m just interested for sure that it doesn’t go east toward the alley,” Harder said. The petitioner and chair clarified that the proposed work would move the structure west (toward the highway) and not east toward the alley; the board asked Rieser to deliver exact measurements so those distances can be reflected in the findings.

Chair moved to approve the variance with the condition that Rieser provide the measurements for the record; the motion was seconded and carried. In announcing the decision, the board stated that, based on information presented, the requested variance would not adversely affect public health, safety or the value of adjacent property, and that strict application of the ordinance would create practical difficulties for the property owner.

The vote concluded the public hearing on the Newton Street variance; the board directed staff to include the petitioner’s measurements in the written findings.