Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A North Main Street car wash could soon add tires to its business after receiving the Planning Commission’s recommendation for a conditional use permit.

The commission voted 6-1 at its Nov. 16 meeting to recommend the permit, with Kittrell Eberwine voting no and Anita Hicks absent. The request is expected to be taken up by City Council at its Dec. 15 meeting.

Quality Tires and Auto Care of 351 N. Main St., which already operates as a car wash and detailing business, wants to begin installing, repairing, selling and storing tires. William Goodman, who operates the business, said during a public hearing that he wants to provide a new tire service for customers at the North Main Street location just as it does at the East Washington Street location.

The city had given a notice of violation to the property owner, Nicholas Moyer, in August after it found the business had started its tire service operation without a conditional use permit. Moyer subsequently submitted a conditional use permit request.

Currently, car detailing takes place in the front parking lot area of the property. Tire service would take place within the existing bay area, and tires would be stored inside, with no more than 100 tires at the business at any given time. Extra tires to be discarded would stay inside and disposed either weekly or bi-weekly at a landfill.

No other car repair work would take place, and the car wash and detailing operation would continue. Employees would use parking off of North Main Street, with the parking in the back of the business to be used by vehicles before and after servicing. It would also have to install a six-foot-high fence at the rear of the property to screen it from the adjacent residence on Mahan Street.

On any given day, five employees work at the business, which operates from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Other commercial structures surround the business, which is in the central business district.

The existing business was built in 1952, and the staff report for the proposed conditional use permit noted that a car wash has been successfully operating for many years. The report noted the noise that would come from the use of a compact drill, but the business already generates noise from commercial vacuums.

City planning staff has recommended approval of the conditional use permit.