Town raises concerns over impacts of proposed car wash

A proposal for an 11,500-square-foot automated car wash on Route 118 drew concerns from Yorktown Town Board members over traffic, location, wetlands and the facility’s compatibility with the surrounding area.

The proposed Flagship Car Wash would be built on a 1.7-acre vacant parcel that previously had approval for a bank that was never constructed, according to Supervisor Ed Lachterman. The site is located at the start of the trail connecting Downing Park to FDR Park. The property is in the C-3 commercial zoning district, which permits automated car washes with approval of a site plan and special permit from the Town Board.

“It is not an easy piece of property to build on so you need something that would have a sustainable return on investment,” Lachterman said in a text to Yorktown News on July 22.

The applicant, who is under contract to purchase the property, said during the July 14 Town Board meeting the proposed facility would be a fully automated car wash with space for approximately 12 to 13 vehicles waiting on site. The facility would employ about 10 workers during an average shift, with up to 12 employees at peak staffing. The proposal includes four employee parking spaces.

According to Judy Knop, vice president of development and construction for Spotless Brands, which operates Flagship Car Wash, fewer than 50 percent of employees at the company’s approximately 230 locations drive themselves to work. She said employees typically carpool, get dropped off or use public transportation, and the company anticipates about four employees would need parking spaces during a typical shift.

“You got four parking spots, and you're hoping that you take the bus,” Councilman Sergio Esposito said. “Is that what we're saying?”

Councilwoman Susan Siegel questioned whether the applicant was familiar with available public transportation options in Yorktown. While Lachterman said Bee-Line buses do operate near the proposed site, Town Board members expressed skepticism about relying on public transportation as a primary means for employees to access the facility.

Traffic concerns dominated the discussion. While a traffic study has not yet been completed, the applicant estimated the project could require between $1.25 million and $1.35 million in roadway improvements, including a possible traffic signal at the Downing Drive intersection, along with new crosswalks and turn lanes.

“It is zoned for this particular use,” Attorney David Steinmetz of Zarin & Steinmetz told the Town Board on July 14. “I'm very well aware, as our entire team is, that there is a trailhead for one of the town's trails right there traversing alongside this property. The proposal takes that into account.”

He added that “we do hope that this application can bring about significant traffic safety — including pedestrian safety improvements — at what we all know is a critical intersection in the town.”

The applicant also noted that the same environmental constraints existed when the town previously approved a bank on the property, which included a drive-through and a similar traffic circulation pattern.

Board members questioned whether the Route 118 corridor could handle the additional traffic. Esposito said he had concerns about adding a high-volume business in the area, while Councilman Ilan Gilbert raised concerns about the nearby trail entrance, pedestrian safety, wetlands and a stream located on the property.

“My concern is having an empty building like this in the middle of town, if it's unsuccessful and what it could then be repurposed for,” Gilbert said.

There is already a car wash in Yorktown on Front Street.

Engineers said the property contains about a half-acre of wetlands and a stream, and the proposal could disturb portions of those areas. The applicant said a mitigation plan would create replacement wetlands at a 2-to-1 ratio.

Siegel also questioned whether the additional wastewater generated by the facility could affect the capacity of the town’s Hallocks Mill sewage treatment facility and future sewer expansion plans.

A spirited discussion about the proposal also circulated among residents on social media and throughout the community following the presentation. During the July 21 Town Board meeting, Councilman Patrick Murphy reminded residents that the board’s role is to listen to public input and that the Town Board would ultimately be responsible for deciding whether to approve the proposed use.

Flagship Car Wash operates more than 50 locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with the majority of its sites in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) region, along with locations in other parts of the Northeast. The company currently has one New York location, in Bay Shore on Long Island. If approved, the Yorktown facility would become Flagship’s first location in Westchester.

The applicant has formally submitted plans, but Lachterman told Yorktown News he was unsure when the proposal would return before the Town Board.