Neighbors Object to Proposed Carwash

TAMPA, Fla. -- A gas station owner wound up in a bit of hot water Thursday when neighbors objected to his plans to add a carwash behind his Citgo station.

Richard Yarnell asked the Tampa City Council to correct a zoning inconsistency at his property on the corner of Platt Street and South Boulevard. Part of his building was inexplicably listed as residential, while the rest was listed as community mixed use.

The council voted 6-1 to designate the whole property as community mixed use, but not before surrounding property owners pointed out the reason for the request - Yarnell wants to build a carwash behind his gas station, and he couldn't do it with the two designations in place.

The carwash is in the planning stage, Yarnell said, and the plans have not been submitted to the city council for approval.

"It's unacceptable in historic Hyde Park,'' said Charles Barrett, a nearby lawyer. He said a carwash could cause his property values to drop because of increased traffic and noise. Neighboring attorney Darryl Creighton agreed, as did Realtor Henry Purcell, who said his office at 825 W. Platt St. would be impacted by traffic and noise.

Yarnell hired a sound engineer to determine how loud the area is. "It's already a loud corridor,'' he said.

"Parking is a major issue,'' added David Kinser, who has a nearby accountancy and tax office.

The council will address the concerns if and when the carwash plans materialize, council Chairman Charlie Miranda said.

Source: The Tampa Tribune