OLDS — Council has approved development of a car wash at the Circle K development off Highway 27 just south of a residential area on several conditions, including that a silencer is installed to keep it as quiet as possible.
The decision was made during a December council meeting.
The applicant asked that the car wash be approved, but also that the number of vehicles allowed to queue up for it be cut from six to three.
A car wash is considered a discretionary use in that district so the matter came to council for decision.
A request for decision (RFD) in council’s agenda package said notice of the application was sent to neigbouring properties, including some residential ones on Shannon Drive just across the alley from Circle K.
The RFD noted one residential property owner (who has since sold the home) provided a letter signed by eight property owners in the area who were not in favour of the development, citing concerns about potential noise and increased traffic.
Development officer Shari Edgington said the applicant expects up to a maximum of 40 vehicles a day to utilize the car wash.
She said the noise level is expected to be in the range of 91 decibels.
“To give you some context in regard to the decibels, a gas-powered lawn mower, it runs at approximately 85 decibels. A vacuum cleaner, those fall between 75 decibels and 85 decibels and dog bark ranges from 60 decibels to 110; the majority of that being between 80 and 90 decibels,” she said.
Edgington said noise complaints aren’t based on decibel level but rather on what bylaw officers or RCMP officers responding to complaints might not consider acceptable.
“I have spoken with the applicant. If we find that the noise is a concern he is willing to put in a silencer,” she said
Coun. Heather Ryan liked that idea (as did others) but said it should be installed from the get-go rather than after noise complaints are received.
“Why anger residents for no reason whatsoever? We might as well nip it in the bud, so to speak,” she said.
Initially councillors were told the car wash would be open 24/7 and that caused great concern, leading to a suggestion that one of the conditions should require it to be closed after 10 p.m.
However, late in the discussion, infrastructure director Adrian Pedro received a note saying the car wash will indeed be closed at that hour.
Coun. James Cummings said the reason the matter came to council was the request for fewer vehicles in the queue.
He confirmed with Edgington that all other aspects of the application are in the purview of administrative staff, not council. So he urged councillors to focus on that request and forget all the other concerns about the hours, traffic, etc.
Ryan and fellow councillor Harvey Walsh disagreed with that stance.
“I’ve done enough SDAB (Subdivision and Development Appeal Board) hearings to know, once you open up, you open it up for everything,” Ryan said.
