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Council denies car wash application
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Johns Creek – Johns Creek City Council unanimously denied a rezoning application for a car wash, after much community opposition to the project.
The owner of Haynes Bridge Wine and Spirits, a package store at the corner of Haynes Bridge and Old Alabama roads, was seeking to rezone his property from C1 Conditional to C2 Conditional to make way for a proposed car wash. Plans were to demolish the package store to construct the proposed 3,500 square-foot car wash.
Parks Huff, an attorney representing the applicant, Daniel Grass, said the owner was exploring other uses for his property that he's owned for 16 years.
City staff and the Johns Creek Planning Commission both recommended denial of the project, citing that the project would be a more "intense" use in the Newtown area of the city.
Justin Kirouac, zoning and planning administrator for Johns Creek, said the Newtown area is zoned C1 and is envisioned to be that way in the city's Comprehensive Plan.
The city and Planning Commission weren't the only opposition to the project, which called for 16 vacuum bays on the site.
Jay Bockisch, representing the Johns Creek Community Association, told City Council most of the 40 residents who came to a community information meeting last month were opposed to the project because of the concern that the car wash would not be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. They also said that the area is viewed as pedestrian-oriented.
The owner of the UPS store in the Haynes Market Shopping Center told staff he had a signed petition from business merchants in the center who were opposed to the project because they also viewed the area as pedestrian-oriented and the project would bring in more traffic to the area. Three other residents who live in adjacent neighborhoods also spoke in opposition to the project.
In his rebuttal, Huff pointed out that there is a BP gas station across the street with a car wash and a Kroger fuel station adjacent to the proposed project.
"You have car-oriented businesses on either side of (my client) but he can't do what makes sense on his property," said Huff, responding to opposition.
Huff said concerns about increased traffic were unfounded and stated that the estimated average number of cars projected to visit the car wash would be 261, 21 more than the average number the package store generates per day currently.
In response to the Comprehensive Plan argument, Huff said the land use plan doesn't state "pedestrian oriented," rather it states the area shall facilitate pedestrian connectivity in the area.
"When you consider that there are 40,000 cars a day (in the area) and you look at this statement that says it's going to increase traffic – from what? What traffic? We're talking about 20 cars a day," said Huff. "(The car wash) takes and captures the existing traffic and it doesn't create trips."
Kirouac said while the Newtown area is primarily residential, the intersection of Haynes Bridge and Old Alabama roads is an activity node, where the Comprehensive Plan calls for a village concept.
"There's interconnectivity there, rather than what is a traditional strip mall center," said Kirouac, who added that there are no other C-2 zoning designations in the immediate area.
Kirouac said some examples of C2 uses include bowling alleys, check cashing establishments, lawn services, pawn shops, skating rinks and more.
Councilman Randall Johnson, who lives in the Newtown area, made the motion to deny the project.
"I haven't found a single member of the community that supports it," said Johnson.
Councilwoman Bev Miller said she struggled with the overall use of the project and said it was intense for the area.
Tags: Johns Creek, Johns Creek City Council
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