DAYTON — People told their city that they did not want a car wash in their neighborhood.
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There are questions about what to do with the old Rite Aid Building off Wilmington Avenue.
A group of people in the Belmont neighborhood in southeast Dayton have been worried about the former store, which closed around 15 months ago.
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The city proposed a car wash, but neighbors didn’t want it.
“You’ve got cars potentially coming out of that driveway every 30 seconds,” a citizen told commissioners.
One after another, several people walked in front of city commissioners to say they didn’t want a Flying Ace Car Wash at this site.
Inspectors have cited owners of the property for trash and other property violations.
“A car wash wasn’t the right fit for that space,” Eileen Comerford said.
Comferford said her neighbors on roads near the site worried about traffic and noise problems.
Mayor Jeff Mims and commissioners wanted the new business but also want to support citizens’ concerns.
“We’re all committed to helping push through something that is more productive in that space for our community,” Mims said.l
The commission voted unanimously to turn down the proposal.
“We don’t want it to be a vacant building, we don’t like the litter and the graffiti and the overgrown weeds,” Comerford said.
Now the work begins to find something else that they all approve for the site.
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