Spark Car Wash plans 10 vacuum spaces and efficient queue management for West Babylon site

The Planning Board meeting held on May 5, 2025, in West Babylon, Suffolk County, focused on the proposed operations of a new car wash facility by Spark. Key discussions revolved around the facility's design, traffic management, and customer experience.

The proposed site will feature ten vacuum spaces, including one ADA-accessible space, with an expected capacity to accommodate approximately 77 vehicles per hour. This is significant as it doubles the projected number of vehicles anticipated during peak hours. The design includes two ingress lanes leading to pay stations, with a total of ten vehicle stacking spaces to manage traffic flow efficiently. Observations from a similar facility in Sicklerville, New Jersey, indicated that the queuing system would adequately handle peak demand without causing congestion on Montauk Highway.

The car wash tunnel is designed to process up to 120 vehicles per hour, which is three times the expected customer volume during peak times. The facility will utilize a membership model, with over 50% of customers anticipated to be members, allowing for quicker transaction times through license plate recognition technology.

Concerns were raised about potential traffic conflicts and safety, particularly regarding vehicle movements near Montauk Highway. The design aims to minimize these issues by creating a continuous flow of traffic into the site, reducing the likelihood of vehicles backing up onto the main road.

Board members also inquired about operational details, including the management of vehicle flow post-wash and emergency vehicle access. The facility will have trained staff on-site to monitor operations and ensure safety protocols are followed.

Overall, the Planning Board expressed confidence that the proposed design and operational strategies would effectively accommodate customer demand while maintaining safety and efficiency on-site and on surrounding roadways. The next steps will involve further assessments and potential approvals as the project moves forward.