PLACENTIA : Council Overturns Carwash Approval

The City Council this week voted to overturn Planning Commission approval of an automatic carwash on Imperial Highway.

The council’s 3-2 vote Tuesday night followed more than two hours of testimony.

The carwash would have been built on a two-thirds acre parcel on the south side of Imperial Highway about 550 yards west of Rose Drive and near Golden Avenue.

Nanette Bragg, manager of the Imperial Villas Apartments near the proposed carwash, told the council she was concerned about the safety of the children riding their bikes and walking to school along Imperial Highway.

“My major concern is how to keep traffic out of our complex,” Bragg said. “We have had three children hit by non-resident cars in 10 years.”

The Planning Commission had granted Greg Lowther, developer of the project, a use permit but required him to restrict access to Golden Avenue to emergency vehicles only. However, residents were not satisfied that the restriction would eliminate additional traffic on that street.

Warren Parchan, who lives on Golden Avenue across from the proposed carwash, filed the appeal to the council.

Mayor Maria Moreno and council members John O. Tynes and Carol Downey voted in favor of rejecting the project.

Downey said the negative aspects of the project outweighed the benefits.

“A carwash doesn’t seem appropriate for that piece of property,” she said.