A site on Memorial Avenue proposed for a Jiffy Lube was a Jiffy Lube until about seven years ago.
WEST SPRINGFIELD – F.L. Roberts of Springfield has proposed converting its Gold Nozzle touch-free car wash at 788 Memorial Ave. back to being a Jiffy Lube automotive service business.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal when it meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the municipal building. The company needs a special permit as well as approval of its site plans by the Planning Board to do the project.
Richard C. Smith, vice president for operations for F.L. Roberts, said that his company wants to relocate its Jiffy Lube at the Century Plaza on Memorial Avenue to the car wash site because it owns that property and its lease on the Century Plaza spot expires next year.
The 788 Memorial Ave. address had been a Jiffy Lube until about seven years ago when F.L. Roberts converted it to a car wash.
Smith said customers of the touch-free car wash will be able to bring their business to a larger, second car wash F.L. Roberts operates at 518 Memorial Ave.
F.L. Robert’s application for the project on file in the Planning Department indicates that the car wash is currently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The proposed Jiffy Lube would be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The reduction in hours would be an improvement over the current use, the narrative with the application argues. The project, which is located in a Business A zone will be very much in harmony with the surroundings. Business A zoning allows retail and service uses.
Plans call for the building footprint to remain the same and for vacuum stations to be removed and more employee parking spaces added. There would be three oil change bays and one service bay.
F.L. Roberts operates nine Jiffy Lubes, 21 Golden Nozzle car washes and 28 gasoline station-convenience stores in Western Massachusetts.