SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — According to www.sanluisobispo.com, the noise from the blowers and vacuums at Quiky Car Wash, which sits near a residential area, has disturbed about 50 people in the vicinity.
Quiky’s General Manager John Singh claimed that the noise is in compliance with city-permitted levels and cited a noise test conducted by a hired, third-party professional, the article continued.
However, the carwash has claimed it is willing to work with neighbors to put up landscaping buffers to cut down on the noise, the article added.
The machines face the residences on the back and side of the business, and the carwash operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter, according to Singh.
Neighbors have requested that the hours be cut down to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as some other changes, the article noted.
“The machinery does not stop,” said Jermaine Washington, president of the Broad Rockview Place Homeowners Association. “It’s on a constant cycle, operating almost 12 hours a day, with cars coming in and out. The noise is excessive and in violation of city standards.”
Currently, Quiky’s has a pending noise violation from the city, which is its third in the past six years, the article reported; it was also cited last year for the use of non-permitted equipment, which was subsequently removed and replaced with a new drying system containing a silencer package.
“We actually took care of that issue over the past few weeks,” Singh said. “We replaced the unit that was making the noise.”
The carwash provided noise tests in the past showing its compliance to resolve previous violations, the article noted.
Yet, city officials recently conducted their own noise test, which showed that Quiky’s exceeded the permitted 60 decibels at the border with the residential property line, according to Community Development Director Michael Codron.
“We did our own tests and found a violation with our own equipment that is relatively basic,” Codron said. “The business went and had a professional study done, and the owner showed they’re in compliance.”
The carwash’s tests indicated decibel ranges between 55 and 57, Singh said.
The city plans to seek a compromise between the business and neighbors, most likely through improvements made by the carwash owner, the article added; furthermore, the city will review the carwash’s use permit to see if it needs to make adjustments, such as reducing the hours of operation.
Singh said that Quiky’s is willing to plant shrubs or do other landscaping to help reduce noise “as quickly as we can get it done,” but he also noted that he would not reduce hours of operation, arguing that people need earlier or later hours to wash their cars around their work schedules.
Washington believes the best solution would be to convert the business to a manual drying one, the article stated.
“Our bedroom is upstairs, and we hear the sounds every day,” Washington said. “The business wasn’t designed well. It should have been facing Broad St., not the homes. But here we are now, and the best solution is for it to be manual.”
The Planning Commission is expected to address the issue, but a hearing date has not yet been set, the article concluded.
Find the original article here.
