A Development Advisory Committee meeting for the Auto Spa Express Car Wash proposed to join the Bel Air Costco development is set for Oct. 1.

Plans feature a 5,223-square-foot facility with a 130-foot, automated, belt-operated car wash tunnel capable of washing up to 200 cars an hour, and 26 parking spaces for vehicle drying.

The car wash would be located near the intersection of Plumtree and Emmorton roads, on the same 33-acre lot that is proposed for a 162,000-square-foot Costco store with 821 parking spots and a 24-pump gas station.

A Development Advisory Committee meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on Oct. 1 at 220 S. Main St., Bel Air, in the first-floor conference room.

The committee is composed of representatives from the county, state and other agencies. Committee members will evaluate all aspects of the project, including stormwater management, traffic, and road designs, to provide recommendations to the developers. Committee meetings are open to the public and include time for public comment.

Auto Spa Express Car Wash officials submitted plans to join the “Costco Wholesale Bel Air Village” project in July and held a Community Input Meeting in August. During the meeting, more than a dozen residents expressed concerns about the possible increased traffic the project could bring.

The traffic impact for the car wash is outlined in the traffic impact study for Costco. According to data in the Institute of Transportation Engineers Generation Manual — a nationally accepted, industry-standard document for traffic studies — the car wash is estimated to bring about 73 daily weekday trips, and about 155 trips between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Planners noted that, according to the traffic data manual, car washes could generate up to 130 cars at most during peak hours.

Similar to the traffic expert — who was funded by an attorney representing the family that owns Klein’s ShopRite, a grocery store located less than a mile from the proposed Costco — Maryland State Highway officials said in their feedback on the traffic study that the project’s proposed traffic data does not reflect the popularity of Costco fuel.

Traffic has been the main concern for not only residents near the project, but Harford County residents since the area is a popular destination for services, eating and shopping.

Traffic planners have proposed 13 traffic enhancements to surrounding roadways to address the traffic influx, such as expanding Plumtree Road from two lanes to five, a traffic signal at Emmorton Road and Bright Oak Drive and widening Emmorton Road to accommodate acceleration and deceleration lanes.

The Auto Spa Express Car Wash is one of a few additional businesses projected to join the project, with current plans outlining 8,000 square feet for fast-food establishments and 29,000 square feet for high-turnover sit-down restaurant space — all on the commercial lots surrounding the proposed Costco.

Approval for the car wash and subsequent developments on the site are contingent upon the proposed Costco receiving full project approval. Only the forest conservation plan for the proposed Costco has been approved at this time.

A timeline for when Costco could receive full project approval is currently unknown as numerous aspects of the project, like its traffic impact plan, are still pending approval from county and state entities.

So far, the Auto Spa Express Car Wash and Costco are the only two businesses to propose plans for the site.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.