LAKE PLACID — A new car wash may be coming to Lake Placid.

A Vermont-based couple, Patrick and Tamara White, have submitted to the Lake Placid-North Elba Joint Review Board plans to build a new car wash at 2226 Saranac Ave., the former site of restaurants including the Maple Leaf, Cameron’s and the Cowboy.

The Whites, who own a Christmas tree farm in Vermont, said in a letter to the board that they specifically chose to build a business in Lake Placid because they see a demand for a car wash here — and because it will allow them to spend more time with family in the area. A one-bedroom apartment and office is proposed as part of the new building.

The new two-bay, automatic car wash would be designed to blend in with the surrounding properties. The Whites said the goal was to come up with a design that didn’t look like the typical car wash. Instead, the design is reminiscent of a residential home, with gable roofs and muted green siding with white trim.

“We have been guided throughout the process by our desire to build a different kind of car wash — one that is a fit for this community; one that functions well even in the challenging weather conditions of Lake Placid; and one that blends into and actually contributes aesthetically to its surroundings,” they wrote. “Furthermore, our vision is to operate a business that maintains an active presence in the local community, including through volunteer work and fundraiser partnerships with school and nonprofit groups, while providing a needed service for local residents and visitors alike.”

The Whites purchased the Saranac Avenue property last summer and demolished the former restaurant building on site a few months later. The proposed new building has been designed by Plattsburgh’s Architectural and Engineering Design Associates.

Construction of the car wash was slated to start this spring or summer, according to the project application, though the “New York State on PAUSE” order — which restricts certain types of construction — could alter that timeline.

The proposed hours of operation for the car wash are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Joint Review Board has set a public hearing on this project via teleconference on Wednesday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in participating will be able to find call-in details when the meeting agenda is posted on the board’s website at www.northelba.org under the Joint Review Board tab under the Building and Planning Department page.

Written comments are also being accepted via mail or email to North Elba Codes and Planning Coordinator Terry Tubridy at ttubridy@northelba.org.

Because the North Elba Town Hall is closed due to COVID-19, the full file for this project, including a site plan and the letter to the board from Patrick and Tamara White, is available online on the review board’s website.

—

(Correction: An earlier version of this article had Terry Tubridy’s title wrong. The Enterprise regrets the error.)