See yesterday’s story, “Were the Planners All Wet When They Said ‘No’ to Valero Car Wash?”
One of the curious facts that may emerge at this evening’s 7 o’clock City Council meeting is that the natural rival of mid-town gas station owner Jin Kwak has no objections to his plans.
What competition?
Operators of the Union 76 station several blocks away, at Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue, offer car wash services. They are not opposed to Mr. Kwak’s plan to cut his building in half, placing an automated car wash in the rear and a convenience store up front, while continuing to sell gasoline, too.
Neighbors and City Hall, however, have so far impeded Mr. Kwak’s five-year-old vision to expand.
A Korean immigrant, Mr. Kwak took over the gas station at the corner of Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue in 1973, a scant six years after arriving in this country. This also was about the time he officially became an American citizen.
Thanks to the generosity and support of his customers of the last 34 years, he maintains that he has assembled 3,500 names on petitions.
Officially, his troubles started a half year ago. On May 9, the advisory Planning Commission denied Mr. Kwak’s bid on three grounds: noise, compatibility and traffic.
The staff report (at culvercity.org) description:
a) Mitigation measures for the car wash noise were not enough and there still would be an impact to the neighborhood.
b) A car wash would not serve the daily needs of residents and therefore would not be compatible with the community and the zoning code (commercial neighborhood).
c) The proposed car wash does not provide adequate vehicle queuing and maneuvering.
Desiring to make their rejection sound slightly more poetic, the Planners also said:
“The operating characteristics of an automated car wash and expanded convenience market at the existing fueling station will increase noise levels and create traffic impacts that will not be compatible or in harmony with adjacent residential uses.
“Noise and traffic generated by a car wash will diminish the potential for local residents to enjoy their neighborhoods, and therefore will be detrimental to persons and property in the vicinity.”
Done, Mr. Kwak recently told City Hall in his letter of appeal.
He assured officials that all 79 conditions of approval have been satisfied, a lengthy laundry list that includes 11 separate mitigation measures to assure neighbors that the gray concept of comprehensive compatibility has been met and exceeded.
Unfair Treatment
“I was not treated fairly by the Planning Commission last May, and that is why I am appealing to the City Council,” Mr. Kwak said this week.
About 65 opponents of the expansion plan attended the Planning Commission meeting, and Mr. Kwak thinks they managed to overwhelm the Planners and sway their vote.
“But that was then,” he said. “Now we have done everything we were asked to do, and we deserve to be approved.”
Having learned a tactical lesson the last time, he is counting on a throng of supporters streaming into Council Chambers tonight.
