City planners give nod to plan for car wash land development

Aug 4, 2023

The Altoona Planning Commission this week approved a land development plan for All Washed Up Auto Spa at Logan Boulevard, East Southey Avenue and Plank Road, after the developer agreed to changes that may assuage neighbors’ concerns.

Theresa Green was fearful of being able to see car lights from her porch. The developers agreed to extend vegetation that will be planted atop a 5-foot high berm all the way to Southey, instead of stopping short.

Possibly helping to alleviate aesthetic concerns expressed by Michael Kranich of nearby Kranich’s Jewelers on Plank Road, the developers agreed to a staggered mix of trees and shrubs along Logan Boulevard, which should help obscure the view of vacuuming equipment.

Prior to the meeting, the developers planned to install the berm all the way across the top of the car wash property to separate it from an existing house at the corner of Bryant and Frost avenues — which the developers will own and rent — but only planting vegetation to provide screening for that house.

Green hasn’t been happy about recent uses of the property, mentioning shrubs not being maintained, high grass and garbage.

She’d actually prefer a concrete wall to block her family’s view of the proposed facility altogether, she said.

That would be very costly, said All Washed Up Manager Brian Palumbo.

The vegetation screening will be quick-growing and thick, and will soon become an effective screen, said All Washed Up consultant Chris Peters of MDM Surveyors and Engineers in Canonsburg.

Aesthetics are important on a city gateway like Logan Boulevard, and the long arms of the proposed vacuum equipment are likely to be unsightly, Kranich said. “Aesthetics matter if we want to elevate the town.”

Some people think that type of equipment looks good, Palumbo said.

It’s a matter of “personal preference,” he said.

Given the belief that the sight of the equipment would not offend and that there was no need to block the view of headlights from shining across Logan Boulevard into a well-lit car lot, the developers initially asked the board to waive its requirement for a full screen of shrubs along Logan.

A grass strip plus street trees would suffice, especially given that there aren’t many car wash customers after dark, Palumbo said.

At the suggestion of commissioner Larry Bilotto, the commission ultimately granted a partial waiver in the form of a staggered screen, with shrubs planted between the trees, but not in line with the trees.

That should break up the view of the vacuum equipment and improve the aesthetics, Bilotto said.

The commission waived a requirement for sidewalks along Frost Avenue, but not along other legs of the perimeter.

The tract that the developers plan to buy is five-sided, with a base on Logan Boulevard, a short left vertical leg on Southey, a further leg on Southey angled inward; a short top leg along Bryant Avenue and a right leg extending all the way down along Frost to Logan Boulevard.

Plank Road touches the tract at the corner of Logan and Southey.

“I think it will look a lot nicer than what people are thinking,” said city Codes Director Rebecca Brown of the proposed project.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.

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