Dave Johnson may feel that Ceres has too many car washes already but the member of the Ceres Planning Commission voted on Monday, Feb. 21 to approve a 3,596-square-foot Quick Quack Car Wash for the Ceres Gateway Center.
The business received unanimous approval to build at the northwestern most corner of the triangle-shaped commercial center and closest to the Service Road overpass.
“It looks like a nice project,” said Johnson, “but here I am knowing negative in my mind – not that it’s a huge negative – is I guess I read the paper too much, people are chiming in, doesn’t Ceres have enough restaurants? Doesn’t Ceres have enough this? You know, we have two Prime Shines, a car wash directly across the street. But unfortunately I think it’s a really good location.”
Commissioner Bob Kachel said he had the same knee-jerk reaction.
“I have to say I had the same basic reaction,” said Kachel. “I’m counting in my mind how many others we have in town and I guess we have every opportunity to have clean cars here in Ceres.”
Kachel said his brother loves the Quick Quack Car Wash in the town where he lives.
“The fact that they want to invest in our Ceres is good for us. If we have a lot of car washes here that’s a market issue. I guess it’s up to them to decide if it’s worthwhile for them to be here or not and they feel it is.”
Shannon told the commission that the car wash industry has changed greatly.
“The advances are so prevalent now that we can really do something very different than what’s been done in the past,” he said. “You do see more of them. And it’s also a convenience. You know when we go out to get our groceries or our lunch or whatever we can stop by and get the car washed easily rather than finding that to be a solo trip. That’s kind of part of that. But it’s a lot about technology and advances.”
He advised the commissioners to try the business, concluding: “You will love it. It’s a whole experience and we’re very proud of it.”
Quick Quack Car Wash is based in Roseville and has operations in Utah, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and California with over 160 total locations. In 2008, Quick Quack Car Wash was listed on Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies. The closest ones are in Brentwood, Elk Grove, Hayward and Hollister.
The car wash facility includes a 3,596 square foot building with a three-lane drive-thru operation to accommodate up to 21 vehicles, 19 vacuum stalls, 10 parking spaces for employees and visitors and landscaping.
It is the applicant’s intent to operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with approximately four employees on site.
“We’re excited to be a part of the community,” said Shannon.
An Ono Hawaiian BBQ restaurant was approved in December for the Ceres Gateway Center at Mitchell and Service roads.
The proposal was routed through various city departments and there were no objections to the business.
The property has a zoning of “RC, Regional Commercial” in accordance with the Mitchell Road Corridor Specific Plan, and the proposal meets the development standards of the zone district.
Five out of the eight Phase 1 commercial users (including: In N Out Burger, Starbucks, Chipotle, Ono Hawaiian BBQ and a Circle K convenience store with a car wash facility) received approval under a single Specific Plan Site Plan entitlement for the architectural review and placement of their respective buildings. The future three remaining commercial users are required to obtain separate entitlements.
Construction began in December on the first phase of the Ceres Gateway Center, a new retail shopping center on the triangle-shaped property immediately south of the new Walmart Supercenter. Construction on Phase 1 has an estimated completion by the fall.
The center will occupy 13.68 acres bounded by Highway 99, Service Road and Mitchell Road.
Construction for the second phase is taking place, said David Zylstra of Zylstra Commercial, Inc., a spokesman for the project. Details about the uses in the second phase will be announced later, he said, but will bring the total square footage of retail space to approximately 127,000 square feet.
The second phase is expected to include a 64,000-square-foot hotel with 80 rooms as well as buildings for three junior anchors.
In 2008 the city approved the Gateway project as proposed by Ralph Ogden. The project stalled after the economy hit the skids that year. Multiple extensions were granted but the project expired in 2012. The center was redesigned and brought back in 2020 by Daniel Ogden.
