Car Wash? Think Twice

A recently unveiled plan for a car wash on Springs-Fireplace Road in East Hampton should not be considered in a vacuum. But that is, unfortunately, the sense we get from some members of the town planning board, who appeared favorably inclined toward the proposal presented to them on Feb. 3. They are, perhaps, to be forgiven because this part of town has become a place for businesses not welcome elsewhere. Whether that kind of use should be perpetuated there is an good question.

Initial public reaction to the idea of a full-service car wash near the Springs-East Hampton hamlet border has generally been favorable. Despite a limited version of a car wash at an Amagansett service station, many residents think of the facility on County Road 39 in Southampton as the only option. The proposed one-acre site is adjacent to the town recycling center; car wash patrons would use the dump’s entrance and exit roads.

On first, superficial review, the location and fact that this stretch of Springs-Fireplace Road is more or less a commercial-industrial wasteland might make a car wash seem appropriate. However, we believe the location is a strong reason to argue against it. It would be shortsighted for the planning board to add to the ugly gauntlet that already marks this part of town. 

Just because previous town officials were content to let that happen does not mean the damage should grow. And, in particular, developing the site in the way proposed would significantly expand the road’s commercial sprawl, not contain it. 

The road is the gateway to neighborhoods in which a large proportion of town residents live, as well as to areas of spectacular natural beauty and historical significance. We dare say that no other main road on the South Fork has a higher concentration of dust, noise, litter, and traffic-producing businesses. To add more would, frankly, be an insult to Springs and the people who live — and vacation — there. 

It also is important to remember that the proposed site, which remains wooded, is in an area considered, believe it or not, critical for the protection of the town’s groundwater resources. Its representative during the Feb. 3 meeting said that wastewater from washing cars would be trucked off-site; to where and how often and whether this would be a permanent arrangement are a few things planners should be asking about.

For all these reasons, this plan and any others for Springs-Fireplace Road should not be looked at by themselves. The town’s 2005 comprehensive plan recognized the importance of the industrial uses there and allowed for expansion in “an environmentally compatible manner.” Nevertheless, a new assessment of the area is in order, taking into account that the piecemeal approach has resulted in the blight that exists there today — more than a decade after the last serious analysis. In the meantime, town officials should work with the anonymous property owner, whose identity should not be kept under wraps, to find a better location — perhaps in the form of a land swap.

Though many of us might like the idea of a new car wash, its negative effect on an already overused section of town must be considered.