Clean Machine Car Wash in Glenside recently submitted an application to Cheltenham Township which co-owners Jerry and Randy Goldstein hope will lead to a brand-new vacuum station with more ports for customers.

Clean Machine wants to replace their existing 14 self-service vacuums—12 of which are outdoors—and add roughly 10 more on the lot between the car wash’s property and Primex Garden Center next door. The development proposal involves “consolidating two parcels of land, maintaining the existing automatic car wash and self-service vacuum structures, and construction upon the property, a second drive-up, self-service vacuum structure, with ingress and egress to the proposed development via one unrestricted full-movement driveway off of W. Glenside Avenue,” the Township said in a bulletin.

Clean Machine purchased the property in December 2020 for $1.2 million. Aside from demolishing an existing building on the lot last year, they haven’t been able to do much with the space, and Goldstein hopes the application will lead to the upgrades he seeks.

“All we’re really trying to do is replace our old vacuums. They’re 30 years old,” Goldstein said. “We can’t get replacement parts, so we want to put in a new system.”

The new machines would be installed on the empty lot next to Primex. The payment kiosks will shift as well in order to improve traffic flow on the property.

“We’re hoping these changes keep people off of West Glenside Avenue,” Goldstein said. “By moving our kiosks and our vacuums, we’ll be able to keep more cars on our lot and keep the traffic as clear as possible.”

Regardless of outcome, Clean Machine’s vacuums will continue to be free of charge to the community.

“We think it’s a really good value-add for the community, and we think it’s a huge upgrade to our business. We currently can’t meet the demands of our customers, so we’re looking at add 10 more vacuuming spaces.”

The timeline from application to approval is uncertain, but Henry Sekawungu, Cheltenham’s Director of Planning and Zoning, said he expects the plan to come before the Board of Commissioners by April.

“They’re basically trying to add vacuum machines on their existing property and consolidate the lots. We’ll be reviewing their land development plan, so that will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and related entities,” Sekawungu said. “It will also go through various committees before the Board votes on the application.”

For the proposal and related documents, you can click here.

For more on Clean Machine Car Wash, you can visit their Facebook page and website. For more on Clean Machine’s on-site “El Cigar Shop“, you can visit this website.

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Photos: Clean Machine Car Wash