Posted on 12/06/2008 8:45:01 PM PST by Lorianne
Along South Flores Street on the deep South Side, Jesus has replaced the bikini-clad carwash ladies, and City Councilwoman Jennifer Ramos intends to keep it that way.
After a nearly yearlong fight over the propriety of scantily clad women washing and waxing cars in public view, the City Council today is likely to vote to make it significantly more difficult for such full-service operations in the future.
The proposal by Ramos, in whose district the controversy erupted, would require a C-3 zoning designation, one of the hardest for a carwash to secure. It also would require that screens, trees, fencing or other devices block the actual car servicing from public view.
“It is a step in the right direction,” Ramos said. “We can't say with 100 percent certainty that this kind of problem won't come up again, but if it does, the city will be in a much stronger position to do something about it.”
Development Services Director Rod Sanchez is quick to note the city isn't attempting to legislate businesses out of existence.
“This ordinance does not prohibit a bikini carwash operation,” he said. “But what it does require is that the washing, drying, polishing go on out of the public view; basically, that you can't see it from the road. Nor are we telling people how to screen. If they want to put up a fence, or screens, or trees or rearrange an operation so that a building will block the view, they are free to do that.”
But at least one carwash owner was dissatisfied.
“I want to have a mutually beneficial ordinance,” said Bill Sartor, who owns four Wash 'Em facilities around town. “This does not accomplish what they want it to.”
He declined to elaborate and said he planned to air his concerns at today's council meeting.
The dustup that the council hopes to settle began in April, when businessman Richard Arsate briefly opened the Bikini Car Wash along the major South Side street that also is home to nearby schools, churches and revival halls.
After dozens of complaints from neighbors and a number of police calls over the traffic jam created by the bikini-clad employees, the city moved to temporarily shut Asarte's business.
Ramos said neighbors were outraged at the visual goings-on at the carwash and angered over the endless parade of oglers who brought traffic around the business to a crawl.
Although it briefly reopened in May, the corner carwash now is absent bikinis and the women who wore them. It was recently taken over by members of the Theo Avenue Baptist Church.
It operates under the name “What Would Jesus Do.”
The facility was closed Wednesday, but one neighbor said the new operators “run a pretty clean operation.”
“The crowd that came then was about checking out the women and their attire,” joked Gilbert Garcia, who owns the used car lot and newly opened barbeque spot next door to the carwash. “The customers coming now are about getting their cars clean.”
I was in San Antonio a few weeks ago, I didn’t see any bikini ladies washing cars.
Pictures of the car wash attendants?
TTIWWP
....the scene in “Cool Hand Luke” comes to mind....
Mrs L and I will allow these ladies to ply their trade in our garage...
L
Thank you
I’ll be there for the Sun Bowl with the Pitt foorball team later in the month. Get those ladies back to work.
Finally a picture. I expect pics with these kinds of stories! ;-)
I am going muddin just so my truck can get that kind of wash.
Honey, I am just going to get the truck washed.
Again? Thats the 3rd time this week!
(heh-heh)
should not only be illegal but death penalty
You beat me.
Those ladies are in #16 on this thread. :)
Oh, yeah.
Now I see you saw already.
See-saw ???
Whoopsie! :)
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