Plans for car wash near Barrington auto dealership meets opposition from neighbors
The Motor Werks auto dealership in Barrington wants to build a nearly 19,000-square-foot car wash, a plan that the village asked to be tweaked after negative reaction from nearby residents.
The new "Wash Werks" would be located on the grounds of a vehicle inventory parking lot, east of the dealership at Barrington and Dundee roads. The dealership's existing car wash would become primarily for internal use.
Residents who live in nearby subdivisions in Barrington and Inverness have expressed several concerns about the proposal, including that it would increase traffic and add excessive noise and lighting.
Motor Werks representatives declined to comment.
The auto dealership commissioned traffic and sound studies that showed levels would be acceptable once the car wash begins operations. The village's traffic consultant concurred with the assessment regarding traffic, village spokeswoman Patty Dowd Schmitz said.
Village staff members, however, didn't agree with the dealership's plan for a 90-square-foot LED sign at the northwest corner of Dundee Road and Grove Avenue. Two village commissions recommended the village board approve an alternate non-LED sign.
The village board met July 19 and gave its feedback taking into account comments from staff, commissioners and the public.
Motor Werks presented a revised landscaping plan with 15 additional evergreen trees, 17 additional juniper trees and 60 additional shrubs to increase the vegetation buffer in front of the proposed new car wash. The revised plan also added a three-foot masonry wall at the entrance, made the exit from the carwash's vacuum area a right-turn only, and included signage to direct exiting vehicles to Grove Avenue.
The plan modifications were presented to the village board earlier this month, but residents still had concerns about lighting and hours of operations. Board members asked Motor Werks to address those concerns at the upcoming board meeting Monday.
Dowd Schmitz said Motor Werks has further revised its plan with a 35% lighting reduction after 9 p.m. and a reduction of operating hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
Residents also pointed out the proposed car wash entrance is at a current school bus stop location.
Village staff members contacted Barrington Area Unit District 220, which agreed to review the bus route and possibly relocate the stop.
Meanwhile, Motor Werks in December acquired the nearby six-building Barrington Woods office complex, said Robert Gienko Jr., president of RCG Management Services LLC and former majority owner of the complex.
In October, the village board approved an economic incentive agreement for the expansion of the auto dealership. The village has not received any preliminary plans or permit requests for the redevelopment of the site, Dowd Schmitz said.