by Dennis Dalman
After more than an hour of discussion, the Sartell City Council voted 4-1 to approve a conditional-use permit for construction of a “Mister Car Wash” business on a lot next to a residential home in northwest Sartell.
The pro-and-con struggle over the issue was a classic example of the rights of residents vs. the rights of commercial developers.
Earlier, the Sartell Planning Commission voted to approve council recommendation for the project.
Council members made the final decision Jan. 10 at a public hearing. Jim and Diane Braegelman, who have for many months opposed the car wash being sited near their home, spoke at the hearing just before the vote was taken.
Council member Jeff Kolb voted no.
The car wash will be built on an area dubbed River Crossings for its commercial developer (River Crossings LLC). It is a residential wooded area far above the Mississippi River on the northeast corner of Hwy. 15 and CR 1, not far from the Epic Center mall. River Crossings is partly within Sartell city limits, partly within LeSauk Township.
A road named River Oaks Lane leads into the area from CR 1 on the west side. Weeks ago, the council voted to widen that road and add any necessary improvements if needed (storm sewer, hydrants and more).
There had been about a dozen residential homes in that area, which was approved years ago for commercial use as well as residential. Last year, a developer announced plans to put on that land commercial properties on seven lots that could include a restaurant, a bank, stores – and a car wash. The developer offered to buy the residents’ lots there. About half agreed and half didn’t. Those who didn’t included the Braegelmans who have lived in their home there for 48 years.
The project
At the Jan. 10 council meeting, Sartell Community Development Director Scott Saehr outlined the car-wash proposal, followed by information from a River Crossings developer and representatives from Mister Car Wash. There were many questions asked by council members.
Its headquarters based in Tucson, Ariz., Mister Car Wash now has more than 350 locations in 21 states, with 5,600 employee team members. Many of its sites are located within residential areas, according to a spokesman at the council meeting.
The speakers noted the many hours of work among the commercial developer, the Mister Car Wash company, council members, city staff, police and fire departments, engineers and others. The goal was to fine-tune the car wash to mediate as much as possible noise and lighting from the car wash, which is expected to service as many as 600 vehicles daily in the warmer months and up to 700 during winter. The business will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day.
The self-service car wash will be constructed on a 6,472 square-foot area with east to west orientation. It will have 30 parking/vacuum stalls and its solid building will muffle sound. There are currently six car washes in Sartell, including one on Division Street in St. Cloud.
It will be built 75 feet away from the Braegelmans’ home. There will be a buffer zone of 12 evergreen trees, shrubs and grasses between the two lots and a six-foot high aluminum fence will be installed between the car wash and the evergreen buffer zone. Those features, it was noted, far exceed what is required under current ordinances. The developer plans to plant evergreens, shrubs and grasses throughout the entire River Crossings area. Many trees and other vegetation on that area had been cleared to ready for commercial development.
If the plan does not mitigate noise effectively, a company spokesman told the council it will go to extra lengths to add more methods to make the operation as quiet as possible.
Braegelmans
Diane and Jim Braegelman both spoke at the public hearing. The couple has voiced their concerns at city-council meetings for many months – mainly their concerns about noise, traffic and headlights ruining the peace and quiet of their home’s lot.
Diane said she and her husband are exhausted by their efforts opposing the car-wash plan, but she added she hopes everything goes well so she and Jim will not have to keep raising concerns if the noise-and-lighting mitigation plans do not work out as hoped.
Jim said noise remains his big worry.
“No one can tell me we will not be impacted by noise,” he said. “You (those in the council room) will not be impacted by noise because you won’t be living there.”
Braegelman said the company should use the best mitigation technology when they build the car wash and not wait until after it’s built so that if what they do fails, they will to fix collateral damage.
He said he and his wife sometimes feel they have not been treated fairly, as if they aren’t as important as anyone else. For example, he said they were told the project would not adversely affect their lot’s property value.
“False statements might sound good on paper, but they’re (still) false,” he said, adding that others’ property values won’t be affected or their lives’ (value) for the very reason that those people won’t be living next to a car wash.
Votes in favor
Four council members noted the car-wash project has always caused them mixed thoughts and feelings, but they felt compelled to vote in favor because there have been such diligent, coordinated efforts to make the project acceptable – “extraordinary efforts,” in the words of council member Tim Elness.
Mayor Ryan Fitzthum said he is convinced if there are problems, the company will work hard to make things right, such as noise mitigation.
Members Jill Smith and Alex Lewandowski also favored approval based on reassurances the project will be done with the best precautions in mind.
Voting no
Council member Jeff Kolb, on the other hand, said that from the get-go the project should have been built along Hwy. 15, not near residents.
“The bottom line is would you want to live next door to this?” addressing the council and everyone else in the room. “I would not. Put yourself in their shoes. I don’t think there’s anybody in this room who would want to live next to it.”
