Toledo Plan Commission releases car wash report

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The Toledo Plan Commission has an answer to the question of why so many car washes are popping up in Toledo.

City leaders were so concerned about the issue that for six months, they stopped issuing new permits for car washes.

A moratorium was lifted at the end of January and now leaders are looking at how to regulate the booming business.

“It does seem like they are popping up a little bit more frequently,” Toledo resident Chris Allen said.

There are more car washes opening in the city of Toledo now than at any other time since the ‘70s, according to a report from the Toledo Plan Commission.

“Especially in the wintertime, when you get a lot of salt on the cars, it is nice to have one. And I feel like a car wash is the kind of thing you don’t want to go very far out of your way to get,” Allen said.

While the businesses are popular with some, they’re causing concern for others.

“We were getting a lot of questions and I still do, about why there are so many car washes,” Toledo City Council President Carrie Hartman said.

The Plan Commission’s study cites the International Car Wash Association which said the number of people who wash their cars at home has declined 60% in the past two decades.

“People really want the convenience of just driving into a car wash, having the car washed and then going home,” Toledo Lucas County Plan Commission Planner Alex Schultz said.

But does that convenience come with any downsides?

“We have heard of people complaining about noise from vacuums and dryers,” Schultz said.

The Plan Commission is recommending that the council adopt new zoning regulations to keep car washes at least 100 feet away from any residential dwelling.

“That’s going to help with the noise pollution,” Schultz said.

The commission also advises requiring more space for cars to line up at car washes, in hopes of reducing traffic issues.

The Plan Commission is presenting its findings to the city council’s president Tuesday. Before any changes are enacted, they will have to be approved by the city council.

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