THOUSAND OAKS : Ordinance Aimed at Mobile Car Washers

The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Monday on an ordinance that would allow the city to strictly regulate the operations of mobile car washers.

The ordinance is based on recommendations received last May from a 15-member committee made up of mobile car washers and their opponents, who have been feuding for years over the car washers’ rights.

If approved by the city, the new law would restrict roaming car washers to driveways and office parking lots. In addition, car washers would be required to obtain written permission from property owners before beginning work and they would not be allowed to operate on city streets.

The new regulations are intended to prevent mobile car washers, who generally charge $5 a car, from unfairly competing with more costly drive-through car washes.

Jill Lederer, chairwoman of the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors, helped draft the new regulations. She said she believed the proposed ordinance is a good compromise.

However, she said a remaining sticking point is whether the car washers should be able to operate in the parking lots of shopping centers and other commercial businesses.

“The city will ultimately make that determination,” she said.

Lederer said while some believe that the car washers should be banned altogether, they have a legitimate right to operate their business and to compete in the marketplace.

“We all operate in competitive industries,” she said.

After Monday’s public hearing, the Planning Commission will decide whether to recommend City Council approval of the ordinance. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.