Below is a copy of the letter sent to the the City of Wichita, Director of planning.
Dear Mr. Wadle,
I am writing to share our concerns about the Club Car Wash proposed for next year, 2022, at 1716 W. 21st St. just east of Amidon, as reported in the Wichita Eagle: https://www.kansas.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/carrie-rengers/article248485800.html
Research reveals the company, known as Club Car Wash, was formerly known as Tiger Express Wash and has demonstrated a concerning lack of respect for the environment.
Under both names, the Better Business Bureau ratings for this car wash company are similar and involve the following incident as reported on ABC Channel 17, in Columbia Missouri:
“City spokesperson Brian Adkisson said that their investigation showed a local car wash was pumping out a pit and directing the water into a storm drain. “They have been instructed to stop. The investigation will continue Friday to determine what the pink substance is,” said Adkisson The Department of Conservation and Department of Natural Resources have been notified and are also investigating the pink creek.”
Channel 17 News reported the Missouri Department of Conservation stated there was no toxic impact to the creek. The report did not indicate whether this was a single occurrence or if this might have continued if not the car wash had not been instructed by city authorities stop discharging their tanks into the storm drains.
The Columbia Missourian reported: “The discoloration was caused by runoff from the Tiger Express Wash being pumped into a storm drain, according to Patricia Weisenfelder, a community relations specialist for the City of Columbia. ‘Once the cause was determined, the business was instructed to stop and the dye had cleared up by the end of the day,’ Weisenfelder said in an email.”
The first reporting of the incident by news outlets began on April 5, 2018. No follow-up stories are available to the public regarding the Missouri Department of Natural Resources investigation. I sent a request to the state of Missouri, but there is a fee to obtain an open records request.
Following this incident, in 2019, the company changed its name to Club Car Wash. It may be an innocent rebranding, but it could be related to the Department of Natural Resources investigation which requires an open records request and payment.
I understand the City of Wichita planning staff must remain unbiased as the staff report is prepared and make a recommendation.
Our questions for you are:
- Whose fiduciary responsibility is it to ensure this company has the proper attitude toward protecting the environment, and in particular the Little Arkansas River, considering the proposed location nearly adjacent to the river?
- Does the City of Wichita have an obligation to acquire the Missouri Department of Resources findings?
- Whether the findings are the same as previously reported or not, will this information be included in the staff report?
Social media report from M. Hoyt Hillman on Arkansas River Coalition’s Facebook page:
“This is a real concern, [this] Club Car Wash has a Poor Rating with the BBB at their Home Office in Columbia Missouri, with numerous complaints, some from Kansas. Perhaps a closer look is needed.”
Reactions to Mr. Hillman’s Ark Valley Coalition Facebook Page… (shared form LACC Facebook Page)
Jessica Morton, “Gross. From aesthetic and environmental perspectives.”
Kyra Hollis, “Thank you, M Hoyt Hillman.”
Carrie Van Sickle, “How do we act on this info? It’s a real threat to a fragile river which is already full of effluent and ag pollution from upstream. The City likes to two-step around the water pollution and potential silt contamination partly due to the costs of remediation. The Little Arkansas should be a gem…not a waste dump.”
Susie Cunningham, “I’m checking to see if this company uses a water treatment and reclamation process and has a healthy way to dispose of the lead and petroleum and dirt and everything else that comes off the car and ends up as solid waste is remediated.”
Susie Cunningham, “I wrote Ron Graber for advice. Hopefully this company will be ok… I also sent for a copy of the application, but I sent the email late yesterday afternoon. So I am hopeful the MAPC has the river environment in mind.”
William Converse, “By Arkansas law this car wash will have holding tanks and recycle its water no chemicals or anything should ever escape the premises.”
Susie Cunningham, “Here is a link to the Wichita codes regulation car washes. https://library.municode.com/search?stateId=16…”
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Concerns from emails and other social media:
Noise – Car Washes are noisy – what about the firefighters next door who sleep in shifts?
Traffic – This is one of the most convoluted, off-centered intersections originally designed to accommodate Twin Lakes, and Sears traffic on the south side of 21st Street. But the north side doesn’t align with the south side and the stop light doesn’t help traffic exiting the north side of 21st Street.
Too near residential homes – from Club Car Wash location, this seems to be the only one Wichita trying to situate near residential homes. There will be increased traffic to 23rd and Coolidge, which are quiet residential streets.
Blowing paper trash – Outdoor vacuum stations where people will be pulling trash from cars, and the car wash will dispense free car wipes to customers, what will keep trash from blowing into the river?
Exposing North High canoeing classes and intramurals: A car wash certainly increases the possibility of contamination and trash that may be harmful to North High School canoeing and kayaking students.
North Riverside Neighborhood Association has a post with 43 comments and 37 shares. Here is the link to their page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/123824937719796/
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In conclusion —
- The Little Arkansas Community Coalition, does not approve of using riverfront property for a car wash that uses chemicals to wash cars, and cars leave behind petroleum wastes and solids with every wash.
- Solidifying our disapproval, this particular car wash company has a history of purposefully pumping chemical waste into storm drains. Since all the nearby storm drains empty directly into the Little Arkansas River we are also concerned about purposeful as well as accidental spills and runoff.
- We are also reminded that back in the day of Superfund sites and remediations, car washes were one industry responsible for several of those sites.
I hope to see the history of company now known as Club Car Wash included in the staff report. I would also like to hear from you if you could answer our questions.
Kindest regards,
Susie Cunningham
Little Arkansas Community Coalition, president