Gaithersburg homes could be replaced by car wash

Two single-family homes on MD 355 in Gaithersburg could be demolished and replaced by a car wash, if the proposal is approved by city officials. Crain Partners, LLC of Bowie has submitted an application seeking approval of the site plan for a 5,617 square foot automatic car wash facility at 601, 605 and 607 South Frederick Avenue from the City. 605 and 607 are the house properties; 601 is undeveloped land at the corner of MD 355 and Central Avenue. The properties are backed by a stream that has a wetland buffer zone.

New ingress-egress curb cuts would be added on the Central Avenue side of the property for the car wash. A 3' retaining wall would be constructed along the parking spaces and drive aisle on the site. 18 vacuum stations would be provided for customers. A 16'x11' dumpster enclosure would hide a refuse dumpster. And three micro-bioretention planter boxes would assist in stormwater management. Crain Partners has agreed to donate part of the property along Central Avenue, as required by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, to meet right-of-way requirements for that street.

Proposed site plan

Some car washes in the county have had issues with backed-up lines spilling out into traffic lanes. Gaithersburg has a 200' stacking length guidance for car wash lanes. Crain Partners has proposed going above and beyond what it is required to offer, by providing two lanes that will total 510' of stacking length. The required 23 parking spaces will also be provided under the site plan, but the applicant will seek waivers for parking space dimensions and parking green space requirements at a later date.

Crain Partners has proposed planting 9 trees and 46 shrubs on the site. The applicant is seeking an environmental waiver related to the retaining wall facing the stream buffer. While the walls will not be built within the buffer zone, workers and their equipment will need to be on the buffer zone land for temporary periods to construct and maintain the walls.

A public hearing on the car wash proposal will be held tonight, March 21, 2022, by the Mayor and Council at 7:30 PM. Because this is the initial hearing on the matter, city staff will not make a recommendation on the proposal at this juncture.