Merced City Council advances plan for new car wash

A planning change approved 5-1 this week by the Merced City Council will make room for a new car wash on G Street, just north of Park Avenue.

The site, which is just less than an acre, was to be a restaurant until the council voted Monday to make the change. Councilman Noah Lor was absent from the meeting.

The only dissenting vote came from Councilman Michael Belluomini, who voiced opposition to the plan to add an entrance-only driveway on G Street, which the council approved with its vote.

According to city records, the plan allows for construction of a 3,495-square-foot drive-thru car wash accompanied by an 850-square-foot retail or office building.

Adding a driveway takes action by the City Council because, as the city’s general glan says, driveways can “disrupt major street traffic flows.” Traffic flow at Park Avenue and G Street is already rated F, the lowest for an intersection, according to a traffic study cited by the general plan.

Belluomini, who has experience in city planning, offered an alternative drawing of the site and its driveway. He suggested the site use Park Avenue for its driveway instead of G Street.

“I think it is possible to do it without violating the general plan (by) putting an access point on G Street,” he said.

The recommendation got no support from the council.

Mayor Stan Thurston said G Street may see some relief after the stoplights are synchronized. “We should wait until we have the signals synchronized on G before we categorically deny this application,” he said.

In February, the council approved $87,600 to assess synchronizing the stoplights on G Street and along 16th Street, two of Merced’s major thoroughfares.

The loudest part of the new car wash – the dryers – are planned to face G Street. The noise level of the dryers is expected to be between 50 to 70 decibels, or the equivalent of the inside of a busy office to the inside of a plane in flight. City staff said those levels are quieter than the regular traffic on the street.

This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Merced City Council advances plan for new car wash."