Ferndale to Consider Car Wash on Woodward

Ferndale to Consider Car Wash on Woodward

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 1, 2023)

Ferndale, MI – A proposal to turn the former Tim Horton’s property at 22230 Woodward Avenue into a car wash was met with resistance Monday night as about 40 Ferndalians attended a listening session held by the developers.

El Car Wash is a chain of car washes that began in Florida seven years ago, but has begun expanding in Michigan.  The Ferndale location would be on Woodward at College Street, a quarter mile south of Nine Mile. The developer hosted the meeting in advance of going to City Council for approval in hopes of answering neighbors’ questions and alleviating fears, though residents at the meeting remain vocal against the project. The meeting took place at Ferndale First United Methodist.

“We’re not going to shut up or go away,” said one resident.  “No one wants you here,” said another.

The project calls for a two-story building, as required by Ferndale’s Zoning laws for that area.  The ground floor would have the “tunnel” for cars to drive through, while the upstairs would be offices.

The entrance would be on College Street, which is a requirement of the City and of MDOT.  Hours would be 7am to 9pm.

The facility is designed to capture the water to be filtered and re-used, and would have a large retaining tank below to prevent overwhelming the sewer system.

El Car Wash would have 5-8 employees onsite at any time including those in the offices, with a triangle of land on the opposite side of the alley providing parking for six vehicles, plus more than the required number of parking spaces on site.  The layout provides “stacking lanes,” meaning that 38 vehicles can be in line for the wash while on the property, though representatives say 10 vehicles per hour is the expected average.

El Car Wash submitted plans in May, and has been working with the City on an internal review process including a discussion with the Planning Commission.  Representative Dennis Cowan said the plans are being reviewed by the fire and building departments for feedback, and after that will be presented to City Council.

The project does not require any variances, nor does it qualify for any incentives, but it does require a Special Land Use Permit.  The Planning Commission is expected to make a recommendation either in favor of the project or against it, while City Council makes the final decision. Public input can be shared at both the Planning Commission and City Council meetings.

Residents shared a variety of concerns including noise from the cars and the vacuums, increased traffic, water runoff, chemicals, and lighting.  They also expressed concern that a vehicle-centered business would be out of character for a community touting walkability and bike lanes.

The car wash was often compared to car washes further up the road in Royal Oak, though developers of El Car Wash pointed out that there are differences.  In addition to the presentation they provided a handout describing misconceptions about their business.

NOISE

Residents expressed concern over noise from the motors and vacuums, as well as music from vehicles and the property itself. Cowan said that the business will not have music playing, and that employees on site will ask drivers to turn their radios down if they are audible beyond their cars.

Mechanical noise from the vacuums and motors are also minimized in the design, with equipment being housed inside concrete enclosures. There would also be a wall along the property line at the alley, adding an additional buffer.  “The City of Ferndale has a noise ordinance,” Cowan said.  “The car wash has to comply with that noise ordinance to stay in business.”

He added that in Royal Oak car washes were designed so that the openings and exits pointed towards the residential homes behind the property.  The El Car Wash design has the openings pointing north and south, not towards the homes.  In those cases, the motors from the vacuums are also not contained as El Car Wash’s would be.

TRAFFIC

Residents concerned with traffic pointed to problems in Royal Oak where cars in line for washes often extend into the roadway.  El Car Wash has room for 38 vehicles without extending the line into the street.  Cowan, who lives in Royal Oak, said that the problems there are due to the car wash also being attached to a busy gas station, and to the layout not providing space on site for much of a line.  The sheet with misconceptions also notes that a car wash generates fewer visits than a restaurant or bank would.

Residents, however, don’t want to see more cars in the neighborhood.  “We already deal with cut-through traffic and Honeybaked Ham on the holidays,” said a neighbor of the property.  “We have children playing, and pets,” said another.

WATER RUNOFF AND CHEMICALS

Flooding is a problem on College Street, and residents worry that adding a business with heavy water usage will exacerbate the problem.  El Car Wash addresses this issue by recycling the water, using a filtration system.  The water that does make its way to the drains is held in a retention tank beneath the property that can be drained slowly into the sewer system.  The wash uses biodegradable soaps that are not toxic to the environment.  Dirt and grease from the vehicles is collected by the filtration system and is collected by a company for disposal similar to how restaurants store grease for pick up.

LIGHTING

Another concern with El Car Wash is lighting. Cowan explained that Ferndale requires that lighting remain on the property, and that after closing time the only lighting is that which is required for safety, such as by doorways.

AESTHETICS

The design of El Car Wash brings to mind warmer climates, with white facades and bright pink and blue signage, which residents at the meeting did not like.  “I’m looking at these pictures and I see something that looks like it should be in Vegas,” said one of the residents in attendance.  Another suggested that using brown bricks would make it fit more with other buildings in the area.  Cowan added that the property design includes design landscaping with the addition of 25 trees with an evergreen hedge row along Woodward  Avenue, which one resident stated would attract rats.

Residents opposed to the development have started an online petition at change.org.  While change.org petitions have no legal standing they can demonstrate public opinion.  The dates have not yet been set for the Planning Commission or City Council discussions, though interested residents can find meeting information on the City of Ferndale website.

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