Auto detailing shop gets mixed reviews in city of Agoura Hills





By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com

Agoura Hills residents came out in droves last week to voice their opinions on whether a vehicle detailing shop proposed for the empty lot at the corner of Reyes Adobe Road and Canwood Street should be constructed.


Although 51 speaker cards were filed at the meeting, as the night wore on, many left. Of the 38 people who spoke, 22 were opposed to the project. Two deputies attended the meeting in case tempers flared in what’s become a battle between business and homeowner rights.


Narrowly approved by the Agoura Hills Planning Commission last month, the proposed business was appealed by residents Bradley and Gail Kagan.


Homeowners heard new information about the project last week, which fueled new criticism. The applicant, David Delrahim, owns and operates Agoura Car Wash and a vehicle detail shop in Camarillo.


Francisco Behr, the architect, presented the proposal to city council members. "We tried to design a project that was sensitive to everyone," he said.


Scores of business owners and residents––even children––presented public testimony at the meeting. Many objected to the project because of perceived safety and health concerns, noise, reduced property values and other issues.


Business owners and others spoke in favor of the project, and Delrahim presented a petition with hundreds of signatures of citizens who supported the proposal. The petition was available to sign at his car wash across the street.


Some residents alleged that an Agoura Car Wash employee combed the area, trading free car wash coupons for signatures.


Although Delrahim denied that allegation, there was evidence of other misconduct. (See related story.)


Delrahim is seeking a conditional use permit to construct a two-story, 10,333-square-foot auto detailing shop on a one-acre parcel off Reyes Adobe Road near the 101 Freeway at Canwood Street. He needs a variance to construct the building 15 feet from the rear property line vs. the normally required 35 feet. Four oak trees would be removed for road improvements if the project is approved.


The project would include 7,147 square feet of space for auto detailing. It would include six bays in a separate structure below street level, a 1,320-square-foot reception area and a second-story 1,866-square-foot, private office for Delrahim and his assistant. The shop would be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.


Barbara Schweitzer, a resident who lives nearby, summarized many of the concerns with a presentation that included information on noise levels, chemicals and driving patterns. She said all of those factors would negatively affect nearby residents.


When the city council approved a zone change from residential to commercial in 1987, it was written into city code that any project must be compatible with the existing residential neighborhood, according to Schweitzer.


She and others said the detailing business would interfere with the "livability" of their neighborhood. If the proposed detail shop were to be approved, Schweitzer said, it would be the first in the Ventura Freeway corridor to be placed within a residential neighborhood without an appropriate commercial buffer.


Schweitzer said that customers driving east on Canwood wouldn’t be able to turn directly into the business. Motorists would be forced, she said, to use Alfonso Drive to turn around, which would increase traffic and endanger lives.


Public health was also cited as a concern. Schweitzer said that even though vehicles would be cleaned in a separate building, they would moved in and out of the bays throughout the day, and contribute to exhaust emissions.


In a subsequent interview, Schweitzer said that although the chemicals used in a detail shop are household-type products, when they’re used in volume, they’re hazardous and would contribute to water pollution.


The project sits on a storm channel, which Delrahim said will be completely closed.


Odors from solvents would blow throughout the area, Schweitzer said.


Agoura Hills resident Don Janklow spoke in favor of the project. He said that his children are afraid of getting the West Niles virus. "They’re finally doing something with the hole," he said. The site collects water during rainy season.


Sixteen residents spoke in favor of the project, including a Westlake Village resident who mentioned how polite the employees are at the car wash, which, he said, motivated him to support the project.


Some residents at the meeting were surprised to learn about large trash bins with roll-up doors that would be placed near their homes. They complained about a new source of noise. It was also revealed that an electric transformer would be placed at the east end of the site.


Some speakers disputed Delrahim’s noise report. Schweitzer said that earlier reports were conducted at two times by the same company. When Delrahim sponsored his study, the ambient noise levels were far lower than what was revealed in the 101 Freeway interchange study, according to Schweitzer. As a result, a higher noise level was allowed for the detail shop, she said.


The architect disagreed. "We literally built a bunker that will isolate noise on the interior," Behr said.


Parking (21 spaces are proposed) was another hot issue for critics. Cars will be parked on neighborhood streets, critics said, when vehicle owners are tardy in picking them up.


Mary Wiesbrock of Save Open Space also criticized the proposed business and asked the council to deny the variance. "(The business) is not consistent with the character of the surrounding area," she said.


Mayor Dan Kuperberg continued the meeting until 7 p.m. Wed., Oct. 13.



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