TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Circle K located at 22nd Street and Prudence Road is in the process of expanding its convenience store. They're also exploring plans to add a Clean Freak Car Wash next to it — but not everyone in the Dietz neighborhood is on board.
A neighborhood meeting hosted by Ray Law Firm on Wednesday night aimed to gather feedback from residents before a rezoning application is submitted to the city in order to build a Clean Freak Car Wash. The proposed car wash sparked several concerns from neighbors, including potential increases in traffic, safety issues, noise levels and its proximity to nearby homes.
“Putting a car wash in there is just going to cause more trouble — not to mention more noise for the neighbors, like directly right there behind them,” said Tracy Cole, who lives on the Eastside.
Some neighbors noted the amount of car washes that already exist in the area. They also raised questions about the 30-foot tower planned at the entrance and exit of the car wash. Brennan Ray of Ray Law Firm said the tower is intended for architectural design.
If the rezoning application is filed, the process would include a traffic study, according to Ray. Based on preliminary analysis, he said the car wash would not significantly contribute to area traffic, as it would primarily attract passersby rather than generate new traffic.
Water usage and pressure were also concerns for some residents.
“So when the neighbors go and turn their water on, they don't want to go from a decent flow to very little, you know,” Cole added.
While no specific data on water pressure was provided, Circle K representative Jordan Ridberg said the facility would reuse 70 to 90 percent of its water. He also cited strong customer feedback at other Clean Freak Car Wash locations as a motivating factor for the proposal.
Still, when meeting attendees were asked for a show of hands on whether they opposed the car wash, the majority raised their hands.
"I think that they should just not consider the car wash," Cole said.
Circle K said it will consider the community’s input before deciding how to proceed on the car wash. No timeline has been set for construction on the convenience store.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
