Site Information: 

Address: 1341 Greenwood Court

Property Owner: 1341 Greenwood Court Carwash RE LLC

Lot Area: 1.59 acres

Current Zoning: B-1, Highway Business

2040 Comp. Plan: Mixed Use Commercial Center

City+Ventures, representing Rocket Car Wash has applied for a conditional use permit for a car wash at 1341 Greenwood Court, the current site of the M & I / BMO Harris Bank building that has been used as a Covid-19 testing center. Rocket Carwash intends to raze the existing building and construct a car wash (see site plan and building elevations). The development of the site is an automatic car wash that customers purchase individual washes, or subscribe for different monthly services. In the fall of 2020, a conditional use permit for Rocket Carwash was approved, but has since expired because the permit was not utilized within one year. The applicant has resubmitted plans with a revised building design. 

Rocket Car Wash operates several car wash facilities in the surrounding states and is planning to enter the Twin Cities market. Proposed hours of operation are: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. with 20-25 anticipated employees, with 3-5 employees on staff per shift. The applicant expects a range of 800-1000 washes per day, with a peak hour of 150 vehicles washed in one hour. 

Car wash facilities are a listed conditional use in the B-1, Highway Business Zone. The base conditions listed in City Code are as follows:

• Shall be located adjacent to an arterial street as identified in the comprehensive plan;
• Shall be screened from view from residential zones;
• Shall utilize a water conservation or recovery system; and
• Shall provide stacking for at least 3 vehicles per aisle. The required stacking shall not interfere with internal circulation patterns or with designated parking facilities, and shall not be located in any public right-of-way, private access easement, or within the required parking setback.

As proposed, Rocket Car Wash meets all of the base conditions of City Code.

Access and Circulation:

Vehicles enter and exit the site from Greenwood Court in the location of the existing driveway. The southern entrance to the vacuum area functions as a bypass lane to allows drivers that have incorrect / insufficient funds, or are above the clearance height of the wash tunnel to exit. Staff recommends that the bypass lane be signed as "Do Not Enter" to prevent vehicles from trying to exit through queuing lane for the wash building and that the entrance be revised to allow larger vehicles to maneuver into the vacuum area. 

As proposed, the car wash building does not meet the required setback to Marschall Road of 30'. The site plan does allow for the building to be shifted west to meet the required setback. City Code requires pedestrian connections to adjacent sidewalks and trails. Staff is requiring that a connection be provided to either Greenwood Court or the recently constructed trail along Marschall Road for employees that may walk or bike to work. 

Building Design: 

The proposed building materials are three different colors of decorative metal panels, white/dark gray brick and glass. The proposed materials meet the requirements for materials and design for the Highway Business zone. 

With the above adjustments to the circulation and setback on the site, staff recommends approval of the request, subject to the other conditions in the attached resolution.