A former Rite Aid pharmacy on West Trenton Avenue is set to become a full-service car wash after approval from the Falls Township Board of Supervisors.
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The supervisors voted Monday evening to give conditional use approval to Flagship Pennsylvania LLC to convert the vacant retail building at 547 West Trenton Avenue into a Spotless Car Wash.
The 3.15-acre property, which is located behind the Wawa convenience store and gas station at West Trenton Avenue and Pine Grove Road, has been vacant since the Rite Aid closed in 2024.
The property sits in an HC Highway Commercial Zoning District.
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Instead of demolishing the former retail building, Flagship Pennsylvania LLC, which leases the site, plans to “adaptively reuse” the existing building.
Construction on the conversion will take approximately seven months, according to Ray Garganio, a vice president of Spotless Car Wash.
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As part of the approved plans, drivers will enter the site through three pay stations, with each lane capable of holding at least seven queuing vehicles.
Project engineer Kestra Kelly testified that the site design provides over 24 total stacking spaces.
“We went out and studied four sites of existing Flagship car washes of a very similar configuration … that have been open and operational for years and counted the stacking,” Kelly said. “At the absolute peak, which you would imagine is Saturday afternoon, it was 20 cars.”
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The facility will feature an exterior tunnel wash, self-service vacuums, and indoor dry belt service.
As a way to tackle noise concerns, the township zoners imposed certain conditions on the developer.
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The car wash must construct a 6- to 8-foot sound barrier along Pine Grove Road to shield neighboring properties from vacuum noise.
Attorney Julie Von Spreckelsen, who was representing the car wash developer, said the barrier will consist of a two-sided wood fence with central sound-attenuating material.
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The developer may also install additional fencing or enhanced landscaping near the West Trenton Avenue exit.
Wastewater from the car wash will route through an existing shared pump station before discharging into the Township of Falls Authority treatment system, Kelly said.
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The car wash plans to operate daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with potential early closures due to bad weather.
The business expects to employ nine to 10 workers and will feature 11 employee parking spots.
The vote comes after an August recommendation for approval from the Falls Township Planning Commission.
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“There’s no good reason that we can deny this because it’s a permitted use,” Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence said prior to the vote.
“Personally, I think there’s way too many car washes in Falls Township,” Dence added.
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Spotless Car Wash is owned by asset group Access Holdings, which operates multiple Spotless and Flagship locations across New Jersey, New York, and the Philadelphia region backed by a $450 million credit facility.
In a statement last year, Flagship Carwash projected operating more than 36 regional locations by the end of 2027.
