Mission weighs limits on new car washes

The city of Mission will consider amending an ordinance to limit the number of car washes that can be built within the citrus city.

Mission’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the ordinance amendment at its Jan. 7 meeting. No one approached the planning and zoning commission during the brief public hearing to discuss the proposed amendment, which would prohibit new car wash businesses from opening within a one-mile radius of an existing car wash.

The amendment still needs to be approved or denied by the council. 

However, Mission Director of Planning Xavier Cervantes told the zoning commission that the council requested the ordinance amendment.

“This is about preserving water resources, so based on that, the council has expressed an interest in limiting new car wash facilities not closer than one mile from an existing car wash,” Cervantes said. “We’ve mapped all existing car washes for you, along with those that are at a convenience store.”

Most of the city’s developed area was enclosed in red circles, which indicated new businesses could not be added there. 

“Based on the map, (on) south Shary Road or south Bryan Road, there are still some areas where a new car wash could locate, but most of central Mission, they will not,” Cervantes said.

If approved, the ordinance would apply to property zoned as C3, or for commercial use, including shopping centers, restaurants, and hospitals. It would also apply to mom-and-pop operations, Cervantes said.

Similar rules

Mission’s proposed ordinance would mirror steps already taken by other Rio Grande Valley cities. 

In March 2024, Brownsville became one of the first South Texas cities to enact an ordinance limiting the number of car washes within city limits. The rule there requires a five-mile distance between new facilities.

In November 2024, Harlingen and McAllen adopted similar restrictions. Harlingen’s ordinance requires a two-mile separation, while McAllen requires a minimum distance of half a mile.

Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza said the proposed change was not made lightly.

“This is a major thing for us because we’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Garza said.

And so far, there’s been no apparent pushback from the community. 

Cervantes told the mayor the city had met its obligation to publish legal notices letting the public know about the proposed changes.

“We advertised in the newspaper, and we are holding the public hearings at planning and zoning and then at the city (council meetings),” Cervantes said. “We haven’t received any comments from anybody.”

The proposed amendment will now head to the city council for a public hearing and possible approval at the council meeting on Tuesday.