A project that would improve the Splash Carwash vacuum service in Cortlandville was unanimously approved by the town planning board Tuesday night.
In the midst of a rebranding, the car wash is currently known as Classy Chassy and located at 876 state Rt. 13. The new project, proposed by David Clements the owner of Classy Chassy, would consist in the demolition of the four car wash self-service stations and the addition of a vacuum station that would service up to 15 vehicles as a complementary offering. Part of the renovations would also include new equipment for the drive-thru car wash.
“We would retain the building footprint of our tunnel car wash (the automatic car wash),” Clements said. “As the car wash business has evolved, it has moved away from the self-serve bays and has evolved into creating a loyalty membership program for customers to use the site unlimited for a monthly fee. People stay in their car, they wash it, and that is more efficient.”
The project does not require a New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) driveway permit since the project does not require changes to driveway access to Route 13, Clements said. The costs of the changes to the site are also projected to come in below $150,000. This makes the company exempt from requesting an aquifer with the town, according to the project’s narrative found on the planning board’s agenda.
The planning board unanimously approved a conditional permit for the project’s development.
Planning board member Ann Hotchkin asked about the approval process of the project.
“Why wouldn’t this go to the county?,” she asked. “It’s within 500 feet of a state highway.”
Planning board chair Christopher Newell said the changes were minimal and did not require further oversight from the county.
“They are not changing anything,” he said. “They are removing one thing and replacing it with another one.”
