Car-wash rezoning request behind Get N Go fails first reading after park-compatibility concerns

A first-reading ordinance to add a car wash as a permitted use in land parcel three of the Farms of Holland Planned Unit Development failed to win council approval at Norwalk’s May 21 meeting after a lengthy public hearing and debate.

The proposal would have allowed a tunnel-style, national-brand car wash on a parcel behind the Get N Go at Beardsley and Highway 28. The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend denial (3–2) before the council hearing. Luke Parish, city staff, told the council the parcel sits closer to the park and that staff and commissioners had concerns about litter, runoff and proximity to walking trails. "We feel like the car wash maybe introduces a little bit more opportunity for a negative situation to happen," Parish said.

The property owner and developer pressed a contrasting case. Ryan Jensen, who identified himself as the property owner, said market conditions have changed since the site was platted a decade ago and argued the lot has limited alternative uses: "Population and traffic counts have doubled since the PUD was created; the site is an island and opportunities are extremely limited." Developer Rance Wildman (Quick Quack) said the company would provide landscaping and visual screening to reduce views from the park and pointed to the site's traffic volume as a commercial advantage.

Council debate tracked a familiar land-use tension: several councilmembers and planning staff emphasized the PUD’s original intent to protect the park edge and promoted higher‑amenity uses (restaurants/ patios) near the park, while others noted the market has changed and questioned whether an unoccupied parcel should remain idle. Because the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended denial, state/local rules required a supermajority to override; the first‑reading motion failed by roll-call (Cool — No; Keith — No; Porter — Yes; Johnson — Yes). With only four members voting, the motion did not reach the needed threshold.

What happens next: The failed first reading means the zoning change does not move forward now; the applicant may consider revisions or future applications after addressing runoff, screening and compatibility concerns. Staff noted parcel-five had previously been amended to permit a car wash where it sat further from the park, and recommended any future consideration include detailed buffering and stormwater controls.