Laguna Beach Wrings More Debate Out of Proposed Carwash

Residents for and against plans for a new drive-through carwash in Laguna Beach made their arguments to the City Council on Tuesday in a session that continued into the night.

Proponent George Heed said of the project, planned on North Coast Highway near Cliff Drive, “I’m glad to see any kind of business that’s going to serve the community. It’s a vacant lot right now that’s really been a trash collector for a number of years.”

About 100 people filled council chambers for the debate on the carwash, which some residents have opposed, saying it would bring traffic congestion and noise.

The Planning Commission approved the project in November, but a month later the council rejected it on a 3-2 vote, with the majority expressing concern that it would not be appropriate for the scenic highway.

Applicant Scott Thompson, who owns Sweetwater Car Wash in the southern part of town, returned to the Planning Commission and said he would use low-noise cleaning machines and build a studio apartment as a sound buffer between the carwash and nearby homes. He also offered to put the business’ parking lot underground to ease traffic tie-ups.

The Planning Commission last month approved the modified proposal for a carwash, which Thompson estimates will clean an average of 110 cars a day at about $12 a wash.

“People are looking for in-and-out service,” he said. “They want something quick.”

Among council supporters of the plan is Mayor Kathleen Blackburn. Because Laguna Beach has only two carwashes, she said, residents are often forced to leave the city to find competitive prices.

“We need more resident-serving businesses to keep us in town,” she said. “We have to leave town for so many services.”

The 18,000-square-foot lot, which Thompson said he bought for $1.1 million, is at 1369 N. Coast Highway.