By N. BRADFORD
Reporter News Staff
A car wash company’s goal to open the location in Shadow Creek near 288 started on a bad note Monday when it failed to get a recommendation from Pearland’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
“We spent a lot of money on that corridor to have a certain look as you come into the city,” Planning and Zoning Commissioner Derrell Isenberg said. “I think that would distract from it.”
The negative recommendation won’t help matters when the request for a conditional use permit to operate a car wash south of Discovery Bay Drive goes before the city council.
In Pearland, automotive uses within a planned development such as Shadow Creek have required special approval from the city council since the development of Pearland Parkway.
The city’s planning staff also recommends against granting the permit, as the proposed plan “does not meet the desired character of the 288 Gateway Designation and future land designation.”
Mint Express Car Wash co-owner Varinder Tandon operates car washes in Cypress and Katy, and said he plans to build three more locations by the end of 2024.
“This particular lot is kind of isolated,” Tandon told P&Z commissioners regarding the one-acre site.
Since notifications were sent to neighboring property owners, no letters or calls either for or against the project were received, city staff noted.
“We typically let the market dictate what happens with land development,” said Martin Griggs, assistant director of Community Development. “But there are a number of other commercial uses within that block. The 288 Gateway is mainly geared toward having a higher-end commercial component. Typically we would not recommend automotive uses within the 288 designation.”
