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.
The property sits on roughly 0.89 acres and is located within a predominantly commercial corridor along Ridge Road, near the Weis shopping center. Planning staff determined the surrounding area is largely compatible with the proposed use, citing existing commercial uses including gas stations and a drive-thru restaurant nearby.
The Planning Board’s approval includes several conditions. Operations will be limited to 7:30am to 7:30pm Monday through Saturday and 8am to 6pm on Sundays, with no more than four employees on-site at any given time. The applicant must also enter into a surety and maintenance agreement, complete required site improvements, and comply with recommendations from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
Additional requirements include holding a pre-construction meeting with county staff, ensuring all fire access improvements meet county standards, and maintaining compliance with all approved site plans and conditions throughout construction. With the conditional use now approved, the project can move forward into permitting and construction phases, subject to meeting all outlined conditions and agency requirements.
