Commercial properties near major intersections could become unavailable for new car washes under a proposal that would change where the businesses can locate in Medford, extending a city review of development standards first tightened three years ago.
The proposed amendments would restrict car washes in the Community Commercial zoning district, establish exclusion areas around certain intersections or combine those approaches. Retaining the current regulations remains an option. No new restrictions have been adopted.
The decision would affect which commercial properties remain eligible for future car wash development, particularly along transportation corridors where zoning and street access help determine how land can be used. A property permitted to accommodate a car wash under existing rules could lose that eligibility if the city adopts either the zoning prohibition or an intersection buffer.
The proposal, identified as Car Wash Code Amendment 2.0, would amend Chapter 10 of the Medford Municipal Code. Planning staff circulated the alternatives for agency review on October 21, with a preliminary discussion scheduled for November 4.
One alternative would remove car washes as an allowed use in Community Commercial zones while retaining provisions for them in other eligible commercial and industrial districts. A second would prohibit car washes on properties within either 250 or 500 feet of designated intersections. The city has not selected a distance.
The intersection provision would apply where two or more streets classified as regional arterials, major arterials, minor arterials, major collectors or minor collectors meet. Those classifications come from Medford’s Transportation System Plan.
Under the draft language, the restriction would apply when any portion of a lot falls within the designated distance, measured in a straight line from the intersection’s center. Its reach would therefore extend beyond corner properties to other parcels inside the boundary.
A third alternative would combine the Community Commercial prohibition with the intersection restrictions. The fourth would leave existing development regulations in place.
Medford previously revised its car wash standards in 2023, prohibiting the businesses in Neighborhood Commercial zones and adding requirements for development near residential neighborhoods. Those changes strengthened landscaping and buffering requirements, restricted lighting and signage, and limited the number of vehicle-oriented businesses allowed on a single property.
The latest draft retains conditional-use review and special standards for car washes proposed on commercial or industrial sites adjacent to residentially zoned property or residential uses. That requirement also covers residential parcels separated from a proposed development by a public right-of-way.
In September 2025, the city reported that approximately 20 car wash sites had been built or approved within city limits. The figure included approved developments as well as completed facilities.
City officials have placed the review within broader discussions about Medford’s growth and the location of automobile-oriented businesses. A separate examination of those uses within the downtown boundary has accompanied implementation work on the city’s Downtown Plan.
The current amendment addresses where car washes may be permitted. Its alternatives do not establish a citywide prohibition or require operating businesses to close.
The Planning Department has distributed the proposal to city departments, transportation agencies, utilities and other organizations for review. Recipients include city engineering staff, police and fire departments, the Water Commission, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Rogue Valley Transportation District.
The Land Development Committee is scheduled to consider the amendment Wednesday, November 4, at 9:30 a.m. through Zoom. That meeting is a preliminary review, and amendments would require additional consideration before taking effect. The city has described a process involving the Site Plan and Architectural Commission, Planning Commission and City Council before adoption.
Residents may submit written comments to the Planning Department, although the Land Development Committee meeting does not include an opportunity for public comment. Correspondence concerning the proposal can be directed to planner Kayla Parr at kayla.parr@cityofmedford.org and should identify file DCA-26-166.