Submitted By
Zoning Board of Appeals Through Ahmad M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager / Interim Director of Development Customer Services
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
Concur with the Zoning Board of Appeals and Adopt an Ordinance Granting a Special Use Permit for a Car Wash Facility with an Accessory Drive-Through Located at 6000-6020 Roosevelt Road
End
Overview
Overview
The Applicant, Driven Car Wash, LLC, is requesting approval for a drive-through car wash facility at the northwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard. The Applicant received unanimous support from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously recommended approval of the application.
Body
Staff Recommendation
Support the Zoning Board of Appeals’ recommendation.
Fiscal Impact
The Village’s cost for the public notice is $196 (Account # 1001-46202-101-550652).
Background
The subject property is a zoning lot, approximately 125’ x 261.80’, located at the northwest corner of Austin Blvd. and Roosevelt Road. The lot is currently improved with a vacant bank building and a drive-through facility and is located in the RR Roosevelt Road Zoning District. The applicant proposes to demolish the existing bank building and drive through facility and construct a car wash facility called Driven Car Wash, a regional business chain operation. Currently, Driven Car Wash (www.drivencarwash.com <http://www.drivencarwash.com>) has four suburban locations in DesPlaines, Arlington Heights, Hickory Hills and Rolling Meadows. The regional chain is working to open additional operations in Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Lake Zurich, Palatine and Oak Park.
The facility will be an express exterior-only car wash, which will require customers to remain in their vehicles during said wash. Three pay stations will be located at the northeast corner of the site. Additionally, there will be 25 vacuum stalls where customers will be able to exit their vehicle and use the self-serve vacuum equipment. Given the nature of operations, staffing will be limited to approximately three (3) employees per labor hour, according to the applicant.
The new facility will be accessed from Roosevelt Road using an existing curb-cut. No access to or from the facility will be available from or onto Humphrey Avenue. Traffic would circulate in a counter-clockwise direction through the site. Washed vehicles would exit the enclosed facility heading south and would exit back onto Roosevelt Road. As proposed, there are 24 stacking spaces in the three (3) drive-through lanes with the ability to bail-out using an existing curb-cut on Austin Blvd. No access into the business is allowed off Austin Blvd. The petitioner has provided a 147-page traffic study, as produced by KLOA, Inc. Said traffic study is attached.
The proposal intends to have street facing facades, fencing and limited landscaping around the property in an effort to provide a buffer to adjoining properties.
The proposed operation will have no retail sales store or operation. The facility will have vacuum’s available to customers, as shows on the proposed site plan.
Alternatives
Deny the Ordinance or adopt the Ordinance with modifications.
Previous Board Action
N/A.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on October 11, 2023. Eight (8) persons spoke in opposition to the proposed development, three (3) from Oak Park and five (5) from Berwyn. The individuals who spoke in opposition raised a variety of their concerns including increased traffic, the safety of children and adults crossing the street, traffic exiting the development, turning and driving up Humphrey Avenue, and constant noise created from vacuums, dryers and the general wash operations. In addition, some of those who spoke in opposition stated that the use is not pedestrian friendly, provides no benefit to Oak Park, felt that the traffic plan will not work, mentioned potential security issues, the potential creation of additional trash and litter and expressed the concern about the potential for development clients to perform after-carwash detailing on Humphrey Avenue.
The ZBA unanimously recommended approval of the application with the condition that the carwash not open before 8AM. Early operation, prior to 8AM, had also been a concern of Village staff that was raised with the petitioner. The public hearing can be viewed here: <https://www.oak-park.us/your-government/citizen-commissions/commission-tv>
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
Zoning and land use matters are unique to Village government within the corporate limits of Oak Park and therefore, intergovernmental cooperation opportunities do not exist.