Auto detailing shop wins in the end





By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com

Despite heavy opposition from some local homeowners and special interest groups, a vehicle detail shop will be built on the corner of Reyes Adobe Road and Canwood Street in Agoura Hills.


The project was unanimously approved by the Agoura Hills City Council on Monday but is encumbered with more than 120 conditions designed to reduce the impacts to residents. Neighbors’ homes abut the project on the east and west sides of the proposed site.


The meeting was the second continuance of Bradley and Gail Kagan’s appeal of the planning commission’s project approval in August.


In October’s meeting, council members had rejected the request for a variance but advised the applicant, David Delrahim, and his architect, Francisco Behr, to redesign the project to be less obtrusive.


The redesign of the project did away with the need of a variance, which allowed council members little room to deny the project. City code requires that the setback be equal to the highest point of the roof. The height of the building has been reduced to 24 feet and the gabled roof was replaced with a hip roof.


The total building area was reduced by 353 feet and will now cover 17 percent of the site. A second-story balcony has been eliminated and the rear staircase has been fully enclosed to eliminate the possibility of employees looking into residents’ backyards. A portion of the second floor will be cantilevered over a patio area. All windows face the intersection to protect the privacy of homeowners. More landscaping will be added, which will help shield the business from the homes located behind the project.


One point of contention was the number of employees who would work at the business. Council members capped the number at 12.


Although it’s unusual for a city to establish a hiring limit for businesses, council members believed it was necessary because a problem regularly occurs at Delrahim’s Agoura Car Wash, which is across the street from the proposed auto detailing shop. The problem is overflow parking from workers who drive to work.


Delrahim agreed to the hiring cap on grounds that he doesn’t need more than eight employees.


Another issue for homeowners was potential noise created by a transformer. Bradley Kagan said that residents would hear a constant hum if the transformer wasn’t vaulted. Although Delrahim had agreed to this condition in October, after speaking with experts on the subject, he believed it was unnecessary because freeway noise would exceed anything from a transformer. Council members agreed, but requested that the transformer be constructed with heavy- gauge steel to reduce the likelihood of vibration noise.


Kagan also pleaded against the business being open seven days a week, 365 days a year. At one point during deliberations among council members, a resident blurted out concern over the operating hours. After a reprimand by Mayor Kuperberg, the resident shouted another question about whether the detail shop would be opened on Christmas. He was escorted out of the council chambers by a deputy.


Council members said the business’ Sunday opening hour could be 9 a.m., not the requested 8 a.m. They also required that all maintenance and repair work be accomplished within regular hours. In the past, according to Kagan, work had been conducted at the car wash in the middle of the night, waking up his children.


Testimony was also heard from resident Barbara Schweitzer and Mary Wiesbrock of Save Open Space. Staff refuted some of their findings on the need for traffic, noise and other studies. Wiesbrock said, "Incompatible land use is what this is all about."


Steve Craig, an environmental analyst, said that the project was restricted to the maximum. "When we make the statement that all that can be done has been done, we stand behind that statement," he said.


Kuperberg said he would have been happier had the applicant proposed the revised plan the first time, but the project will be better because of the changes.



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