GO CAR WASH TO OPEN IN PLATTE CITY
The new Go Car Wash in Platte City recently announced on social media that it will be opening on Thursday, Sept. 7.
The car wash is located at 2500 Running Horse Road, across Running Horse from Central Bank of the Midwest.
Platte City Chamber of Commerce is planning a ribbon cutting at the new business at 10 a.m. Sept. 7.
Go Car Wash is in the lot south of Wendy’s and north of Meritas Health At one time that formerly vacant lot had been targeted by KFC. The chicken chain had proposed building one of its restaurants on that site in 2008, and even presented a plan to the city planning board but things never materialized.
In April of 2022, The Landmark reported that the Platte City Planning and Zoning Commission had approved the site plan for Go Car Wash and that due to worries about traffic at an exit from the car wash property directly onto Running Horse, the city would require the applicant to design and install traffic control devices that limit the ability of vehicles to make a left turn onto Running Horse Road. Those devices are in place.
“After some give-and-take, the planning and zoning commission and the applicant agreed on use of vertical traffic control dividers, similar to the dividers on Kentucky Avenue at Compass Elementary School,” said DJ Gehrt, city administrator, at the time. Gehrt retired as city administrator effective July 1 of this year.
“These dividers are only needed on the entrance/exit drive directly on Running Horse Road. Installing these devices will limit vehicles from turning left but do not create a concrete middle turning control device that could reduce access by large emergency response vehicles like an ambulance or fire truck,” Gehrt explained in a Landmark article from April 2022.
City officials explained that fire trucks and ambulances will be able to push through the dividers/safely run over them if the emergency vehicle needs more room to make the turn into the drive during an emergency response.
The car wash lot had been vacant–but very buildable–for quite some time. The lot has access from two existing directions and utilities had long been available to the site.
The lot is at the corner of Plaza Court and Running Horse Road. Running Horse is a heavily-traveled public street generally running north-south. Plaza Court is an existing private east-west street that is maintained by the private ownership, not the city.
The site will be accessed by three entrance points: Running Horse Road, Plaza Court and an access drive between Wendy’s and Sonic.
City documents indicate about 16-18 vehicles can be on the property in the car wash queue and additional vehicles could enter from Running Horse Road.
The website for Go Car Wash says it “makes your car wash experience better for your vehicle and the environment by championing the newest technology and services in the industry,” adding that it has the “lightest, safest wash material in the industry. Our non-absorbent G-Flex foam wash material will baby your vehicle. It’s quiet, doesn’t retain water or dirt and buffs as it cleans to deliver even more shine.”