Community Board 13 Votes To Support Z Best Car Wash

Last year we reported on the controversy surrounding a flurry of noise complaints coming from residents driven bonkers by Z Best Car Wash facility (2784 Coney Island Ave). Led by Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, angry locals petitioned Community Board 13 to make sure that the car wash would never turn on its machines again. Their complaints were muzzled as the Community Board unanimously voted to support the car wash in keeping its doors open.

The most recent chapter in the car wash battle centered around whether the business had a proper zoning variance. Residents charged that the location had not been operational for two years, using images from Google Maps to prove their case, thereby nullifying the previous car wash’s variance. As a consequence, the Department of Buildings, at the urging of Cymbrowitz, put a padlock on the business and demanded that they apply for a new zoning variance.

After voting unanimously in favor of granting the car wash its variance, boardmembers were flummoxed as to why there was so much animosity between all the parties at play.

“It is a travesty and embarrassment that the Department of Building’s has acted this way, and I think it’s a travesty that the politicians can’t speak the same language — that you have a politician that strongly supports this business and a politician that’s strongly against it,” Brooklyn Daily reported board member and architect Jack Suben saying. “I think it’s a shame that everybody has to come to this body just to speak with each other.”

While many residents were still outraged at all the noise the car wash was producing, the business got a big ally when Andy Mitchell, who lives right next door, told the board that the car wash had done a good job at lowering the racket.

“I’m going to be honest, they did reduce the noise level,” Brookyln Daily reported Mitchell saying. “I’m not looking to close any business. I realize they invested a lot of money and, compared to the old car wash, their building is beautiful.”

As a condition of the board’s support, Russell Shern, the owner of the car wash, promised in writing to install a canopy aimed at keeping the noise down. Shern noted at the meeting that it would be impossible to install the canopy until the Department of Buildings lifted their stop-work order, a request he was granted.