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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Elizabethton Regional Planning Commission members found themselves in a tight squeeze Thursday night when it came time to vote on a similarly tight variance request and the site plan for a planned car wash, both of which were deferred until next month’s meeting.

Commissioners were deadlocked in two votes with the absence of Commissioner Myles Cook, one of which involved the construction of a second car wash on Overmountain Drive near Walmart.

The commission on June 6 gave preliminary approval (3-to-2, with Commissioners Wes Frazier and James Little voting against) to a site plan for RipTide Car Wash. The business would be located on the former site of Fatz Café, 980 Overmountain Drive, after the restaurant building is demolished. The Elizabethton restaurant was one of 18 closed throughout the Southeast on Aug. 23, 2023.

The car wash project includes a 6,605-square-foot building footprint on the 1.8-acre lot, with 59 parking spaces — 29 of which will be queuing spaces with 30 vacuum spaces.

Planning Director Richard DesGroseilliers said staff recommended approval, adding that stormwater questions had been addressed.

“Just for the record, I’m still, I’m sorry, I just do not believe this is the right use for the property,” Little said.

“I think we all would love to see a restaurant come there, but it is hard to deny a business request when it meets all things here,” said Chairperson Dena Bass.

Little said of the “82 things on the site development requirements” he was aware of, “not one of them mentions car wash. So, if it got approved, how did it get approved?” 

Thursday night’s vote on the car wash site plan was 3-3, with Bass, Dan Holder, and Vice Chair Bill Taylor voting to approve the site plan, while Little, Frazier, and Richard Culver voted against approval.

Commissioners then went on with other business, including approval of abandoning excess street property at North Roan Street and Elk Avenue, and administrative approval of two lots in the Lilly Addition before returning to the car wash.

With the absence of Cook, Bass said the commission was at a standstill for the night on the RipTide Car Wash site plan. She withdrew her motion to approve and then moved to defer it to the October meeting. The motion passed, with Frazier voting against deferment.

During a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held prior to the commission meeting, a variance request for construction of a carport at 919 Walker St. was deferred until the October meeting after being stalled by a 2-to-2 vote. The request was on the August agenda, but after discussion it was then decided commissioners needed to visit the property and was deferred at that time.

Rebecca Brookshire, the property owner, is seeking a side-yard setback variance to construct a carport next to, and aligned with, a garage. However, the new structure would only be 15 inches from the property line, while the side-setback requirement is 10 feet.

In an August email exchange with DesGroseilliers, Brookshire explained her request, saying, “My main concern is I still want access to my backyard with a vehicle. When we have family gatherings and use the backyard, I have a disabled family member that needs to be able to pull their car to the backyard.” She also said a truck is used to haul shrubbery clippings from the backyard to the street for pickup. “Without the variance I would not be able to access the backyard with the vehicle.”

DesGroseilliers told commissioners in August and during Thursday night’s meeting that staff was recommending against the request because it did not meet the requirements for a variance.

Bass and Culver voted to approve the variance, while Taylor and Frazier voted against the request. Given the tie vote, commissioners agreed to not adjourn, but to “put the meeting on hold” in case Cook came in while they were in session and could break the deadlock. As Cook did not appear, Brookshire’s request was once again deferred, with Frazier being the only “no” vote.