Richardson car wash project put on hold by City Council

Further development of a proposed car wash along Centennial Boulevard is on hold after Richardson City Council denied approval for the alteration of the planned development, citing concerns about water and land use, nearby neighborhood opposition, and potential noise pollution.

The proposal to allow a ClearWater Express Wash came in the form of a rezoning request and a special permit request during the Oct. 9 meeting, which would have allowed for the project to be built behind an existing Kroger Fuel Center and adjacent to a child care facility. The Richardson City Plan Commission narrowly approved the request by a 3-2 vote during its Sept. 19 meeting.

Two-minute impact

The proposed car wash was to be a nearly 5,000-square-foot standalone building with one drive-thru wash tunnel, 20 external outdoor vacuum bays and a small office space, according to city documents.

A special permit had been requested to allow for the car wash’s proposed development. President of Falcon Realty Advisors Tim Hughes, a real estate broker for the project, said other development options had been rebuffed by him and his development partners.

“If we had other uses that we felt were viable, we would have built them by now,” Hughes said. “It’s a good use; it’s very synergistic with grocery store centers, multitenant retail, the day care next door [and] the restaurants out front.”

Dig deeper

Hughes said a nearby soccer field had been using the lot for unauthorized parking, which resulted in trash being scattered on the vacant lot.

In response to the landowner’s concern, council member Ken Hutchenrider asked if code enforcement staff could monitor the property to deal with the trash.