COCHRANE, Alberta — Cochrane Council members were evenly split on whether to permit a carwash at the Mountain Ridge Plaza in Heritage Hills, according to the Cochrane Times.

Following rejections in 2007 and 2012 due to noise concerns, stated the article, the applicant proposed a new design for an enclosed carwash, which would be moved away from homes to limit noise concerns and any possible impacts on property values.

Even with these changes to the proposal, reported the article, local residents continued to raise concerns regarding noise and light pollution, privacy and property values, and increased traffic.

“I think of all the uses that could go there, [that] this [proposed carwash] is a good one,” said Mayor Ivan Brooker in the article.

Councilor Ross Watson agreed with the mayor, continued the article, noting that the changes “were positive ones made in good faith” and that by rejecting the carwash, something more problematic could be built in its place.

The councilor also explained that the carwash could draw in passers-by who might otherwise just drive through the city without stopping at any establishment, added the article.

However, informed the article, Mary-Lou Eckmeier, councilor, said having passers-by stop at the carwash would be “far too noisy.”

Councilor Morgan Nagel noted that the Council was headed to a tied vote, reported the article, and since Councilor Jeff Toews was absent, the vote should be delayed until he returned.

Other council members voted against deferring the fate of the carwash in a tied vote of 3-3, stated the article.

A tied motion of 3-3 also resulted in the rejection of the proposal “to change the land use of Mountain Ridge Plaza to include a carwash as a discretionary use,” noted the article.

You can find the article here.