Sunday, March 4, 2001
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Sunday, March 4, 2001 |
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Car wash proposals get P&Z scrutiny By MONROE ROARK
Two separate plans for car wash facilities in Fayetteville are in the works, although only one has gotten the approval of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. Development plans for Express Car Wash and Self Storage, proposed for the northern tip of Fayetteville at the southwest corner of Ga. Highway 85 and Roberts Road, were approved with conditions after concerns about access to and from Roberts Road were addressed. The commissioners were concerned about possible traffic implications at the site, which lies just inside the city limits. They believe that the developers' plan for total access to and from the highway would create a major traffic problem, especially since the highway has a median at that point, which would necessitate a lot of U-turns for people coming in and out. But there is a cut for those wanting to turn off the highway onto Roberts Road, which made it seem obvious to some that the proposed facility should make use of it. The commissioners suggested paving a portion of Roberts Road and putting curb cuts there so that people could get in and out that way. The problem there, according to the developers, is that Roberts Road is currently unpaved, and it would be too expensive for them to pave the portion needed to provide access and do whatever other road work might be necessary. One of the developers said that Roberts Road would likely have to be raised a few feet in addition to the paving work, and this would be "no small expense." The other developer said that traffic flow within the facility could be better controlled from the single access point on the highway, because operating the car wash efficiently depends upon moving all of the cars in the same direction. City staff and developers studied the site between the workshop and regular P&Z meeting, and the commission approved the plans provided that access to and from Roberts Road is allowed, with the right-in/right-out access on Hwy. 85 also in place. Developers of the proposed Fayetteville Car Wash, on North Glynn Street next to Merlin's Muffler, saw their request for a special exception tabled after an attorney representing the applicant presented what he called a "constitutional letter." Commission Chairman Myron Coxe immediately called for a motion to table, saying that the city attorney must review the document before any action could be taken by the commission. Coxe pointed out the attorney that, should his client not wish to wait an entire month for the commission to revisit the issue, he can appeal the tabling to the City Council within ten days. A number of issues remain up the air with this application, as commissioners repeatedly expressed concern about locating a facility of this type in the Main Street District. "I still have a problem with the external nature of this business," said commissioner Allen Feldman. Planning director Maurice Ungaro relayed concerns expressed at the Main Street board of directors meeting a week earlier, saying that traffic generated from people turning in and out onto the highway as well as the potential for loud noise from portable stereos and similar devices could be problematic. Attorney David Fincher of Jonesboro, representing the developers, said that the noisier parts of the car wash operation itself would be moved to the rear of the site in response to earlier discussions. He added that the facility would be in operation only during daylight hours. Feldman said that he drove into Atlanta and around the communities neighboring Fayetteville to get a good look at what other car wash facilities face. He said that at a site in Riverdale comparable to what is being proposed here, he counted 22 cars in line at one time. The special exception is needed to operate a car wash in a C-3 zoning district. Fincher repeatedly said that the request was a reasonable one. But city staff has recommended denial of that request, and suggested that the development plans for the facility be tabled. The applicant then requested tabling the development plans but went ahead with the special exception request, which some commissioners thought should be done simultaneously. All of these arguments came to a halt, however, when Fincher presented his constitutional letter. Now, barring an appeal to the City Council, the request cannot be voted on by the commission until March 27.
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