MAC Meeting: Cold Water Thrown on Car Wash Plan
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) MAC pumped the brakes on a proposed car wash that was planned to be developed on the former lumberyard site at the western end of the Boulevard.
The owners of Splash Brothers car wash sought to demolish the existing lumberyard buildings on the 1.35-acre site at 2495 Castro Valley Boulevard. But the MAC narrowly shot down the proposal and directed them to come back with a proposal that was more suitable for a “gateway” location in Castro Valley.
Splash Brothers operates a car wash on Hesperian Boulevard in San Leandro, and they also have another location in Colorado. The owners wanted to open the Castro Valley site as self-service only and offer a monthly rate for unlimited car washes.
The MAC suggested that a full-service car wash and camouflaging any buildings with public art might make the project more appealing. Ultimately, the vote was 3-2 to continue the item to a future meeting in order to give the owners a chance to make an adjusted proposal.
The MAC and public speakers alike questioned whether a car wash was an appropriate use of the site, which is one of the first things people see when exiting the freeway on Strobridge Avenue, and thus what the county called a “gateway” location.
“The use is allowable but is it the best possible use?” asked Rodrigo Orduna, the county’s assistant planning director.
Public speaker Bruce King had the same concern, and added there are other options for car washes in town.
“Is this really what we want for Castro Valley at a gateway site?” King asked. “Certainly, we all need a car wash, but I’d question how many car washes we need.”
MAC member Raymond Davis wondered if a drive-thru car wash was really a business that would attract people to other nearby businesses as the applicant suggested.
There were also concerns about traffic- the MAC previously denied an application for a Chick-fil-A at the site due to traffic concerns.
Chamber of Commerce President Gary Slate endorsed the project, saying “We like that they are a small local business,” and said that perhaps the county could sponsor public art such as a mural to beautify the car wash.
Quentin Caruso, who is the broker for the lumber yard, said the property was put on the market in July 2023 and received five offers, three of which were car washes, essentially telling the MAC that the project may be the best they can get for the site.
“There was plenty of time with this on the property market for any buyers to make a proposition,” said Caruso.
Moving forward, the owners could adjust their plan or come back with an identical proposal and hope to get approval, or they could try to circumvent the MAC by going directly to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
At Monday night’s meeting, the MAC also approved an application to remodel an existing single-family 5,012-square-foot home with extensive exterior changes and additions and interior improvements at 5763 Jensen Road.