The Montgomery County Planning Board approved a conditional use application for a new car wash in Damascus during its March 26, 2026 meeting, clearing the way for a redevelopment project at 26203 Ridge Road. The application, filed as Conditional Use No. CU202503, allows for the construction of a car wash on a site currently developed as a former bank property along MD 27.
Plans call for a fully automated express car wash featuring drive-up pay stations equipped with license plate recognition technology and automatic gates. After payment, vehicles would be queued and guided through a wash tunnel, with the full process expected to take approximately five minutes. The site will also include vacuum and detailing stations for customers after exiting the wash.
As part of the redevelopment, a portion of the existing building will remain and be repurposed as office or potential retail space, while a new approximately 4,000 SF structure will be constructed to house the car wash operations. The proposal also includes 18 vacuum stations and a reconfiguration of on-site traffic flow, reducing access points from two to one and widening inbound lanes to accommodate multiple queues…