Planning commission recommends denial of proposed car wash near Havsu Regional Medical Center

The Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission on April 15 recommended denial, by a 7'to'0 vote, of application ID26-5177 to allow a car wash at 1871 Mosquite Avenue in the commercial-commercial health district.

Staff described the 0.98-acre site immediately west of the previously considered Circle K parcel and noted car washes are not a permitted use in the district. The general development plan shows queuing lanes, vacuum stations and temporary customer parking; staff also confirmed the project triggered a traffic-signal warrant that the developer would have to fund if the project is approved.

Applicant Brendan Ray explained the Clean Freak car wash proposal is not a 24-hour operation (summer hours roughly 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; winter hours roughly 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and emphasized water-use controls. Ray said Clean Freak's "advanced velocity water reclamation system" would recycle approximately 81% of water on site and that treated discharge would meet or exceed municipal standards; he also said design and construction methods would limit blower noise.

There were no public speakers on the car-wash item. Commissioners reiterated many of the same concerns expressed during the earlier gas-station discussion: the proposal would introduce a nonpermitted commercial use into a district intended to concentrate medical-related services, it would reduce the remaining inventory of vacant parcels suitable for future healthcare development, and it could increase congestion on Mosquite Avenue. Commissioner Thornton moved to recommend denial and Miss Zuro seconded; the motion passed 7'to'0.

Staff recorded recommended conditions that would apply if an approval were later granted, including that the project substantially match the submitted development plan, comply with development code requirements (except for the single requested use exception), and complete building permits and traffic-signal design prior to site development.

The commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the Lake Havasu City Council for separate consideration. The planning record includes the applicant's water-reclamation descriptions and the commission's unanimous recommendation to deny.