New Car Wash Coming To East Wenatchee Near Safeway and Costco

A new car wash will be built between the Safeway store and Costco in East Wenatchee. 

The city has entered an agreement with the developer to keep a driveway on Highline Drive as an exit from the car wash. 

East Wenatchee Public Works Manager Garren Melton says the city will improve safety by slowing traffic in the area with "splitter islands" on Highline Drive. 

"Another positive to this project, not related to this agreement, but we're adding a couple of more splitter islands," said Melton. "There's going to be one along the curb that makes you go out toward the center of the road, (and) another splitter in the center of the road that forces you back." 

Melton made the comments while giving a presentation to the East Wenatchee City Council this week.

The agreement calls for the developer to pick up the cost of the exit way from the car wash. 

Melton says the money will be used to pay for improvements the city is making to Highline. 

"We did take on an extra $5,000 of design fee for this, but the $25,000 we're receiving from the developer can actually be used to help some of our grant match with (Department of) Ecology," Melton said. "Some of these improvements would have been necessary regardless. So, this actually ended up being a huge net win for us." 

The City estimated an additional $5,000 in design to accommodate the changes.  

The developer's agreed upon costs are below: 

• Retaining Wall - $10,000
• Paving/Surfacing - $5,000
• Curbing - $4,000
• Driveway Approach - $2,000
• Contingency - $4,000
• Total - $25,000

There'll be an entrance and exit to the carwash on Pace Drive, which serves as an entry point to the Costco parking lot close by. 

The car wash is being built by a developer out of Yakima – Wash Central North LLC. 

It’s not known exactly when the car wash will be built. 

The property where the car wash will be built is mostly vacant. It used to be occupied by a mini storage facility.  

In 2022, the city received funding from the Department of Ecology to install a stormwater treatment and retention facility at the corner of Highline Drive and Pace Drive. 

The car wash will be located behind and around that facility.