By: Gena Johnson | West Bloomfield Beacon | Published May 16, 2026
WEST BLOOMFIELD — Looking to build a car wash, a developer requested a zoning change from the West Bloomfield Board of Trustees, eyeing a parcel of land at the northeast corner of Maple and Farmington roads, but his application was denied.
Brandon Kassab, the developer and applicant, requested at the board meeting April 13 a conditional rezoning from B1 to B3 on the 1-acre property that runs from 6034 Maple Road to 6056 Maple Road. It was there that he wished to develop a Lux Autowash.
The property is currently zoned as B1, which allows for small-scale businesses that serve the needs of the neighborhood, including pedestrian-oriented retail, specialty grocery, personal services, medical clinics and offices, according to the township ordinance. B3 would allow for a car wash and a higher density of traffic.
The seven-member board denied the request by a vote of 1-5. Trustee Vincent Kirkwood was the lone “yes” vote in favor of granting the change with the current application, while trustee Jim Manna recused himself because he is related to the applicant.
Kirkwood suggested the trustees table the vote because the applicant’s amended application was received the Friday before the Monday meeting. Some trustees said they had not reviewed it prior to the meeting. Kirkwood said there may be something in the application that would change their vote. The vote was then taken.
The documents from the applicant were declared incomplete due to “deficiencies”, according to the township attorney, Alana Knox. Several officials said they consider Kassab a “friend” and stated they don’t like voting against friends, but they didn’t see the project working at the location. Those officials were Debbie Binder, the township clerk; Jonathan Warshay, the township supervisor; and Teri Weingarden, the township treasurer.
Binder said she went to the site, observed the flow of business and traffic, “but still couldn’t wrap my head around it.” She noted Maple Road is a major thoroughfare for first responders going to Henry Ford Hospital, and the car wash would increase traffic heading to emergency care.
Some residents who live near the proposed car wash vehemently opposed the proposal, insisting it did not fit with the aesthetics and character of their neighborhood, and they did not want to deal with more traffic and noise.
“I am opposed to this project,” said resident David Barash. “We don’t need two car washes within less than a mile of each other.”
Kassab questioned why his project was “approved” when he first went before the Planning Commission in December 2025, receiving a unanimous vote of 5-0 in favor of the zoning change. The Planning Commission is a seven-member body; commissioners Amy Mindell and Lance Stokes had excused absences during that meeting. The decision was later remanded by the township attorneys because the application was incomplete and thus cannot be approved.
According to the applicant, he spent more than $25,000 based on the December approval.
“Our applicant spent over $25,000 because of an erroneous mistake made by the Planning Commission. That’s what it sounds like I’m hearing,” Kirkwood said.
“The applicant did not submit a proper application that met the ordinance standards for a conditional rezoning, in December,” Knox said. “The Planning Commission only recommends. The township board approves or denies.”
Other deficiencies in the application included the lack of a traffic impact study or noise study conducted by qualified engineers.
The applicant was given another opportunity in February to go before the Planning Commission and resolve those deficiencies. However, the application still did not have a notarized and sworn affidavit, nor did it have a traffic impact study or noise study. The commission voted unanimously to approve the denial of the zoning change, 7-0.
When Kassab met before the board April 13, there was still no affidavit, traffic impact study or noise study, according to trustee Michael Patton.
“We took the first steps to go through a trip generation study, and when a professional engineer is calling it a negligible impact to the traffic … what is the point of doing (the study)?” Kassab said when asked why a traffic study wasn’t done.
A trip generation study is different from a traffic impact study.
Patton, a former West Bloomfield Police chief, reminded the applicant that at one point the applicant estimated there would be one car per minute entering the car wash.
According to Kassab, the current numbers are projected at under 60 cars per minute during peak hours, and he is willing to have traffic and noise studies conducted by the proper engineers as determined by the township.
Moving forward, he said he would like more notice from the township when his documents are not in compliance, so he can take the necessary steps before meeting them.
Kassab said he thought that if the rezoning was approved, the special land use was automatically granted, and he would be able to move forward with the project.
The township attorney respectfully disagreed and explained that other processes must be in place before he can develop the proposed car wash.
“Conditional rezoning approval requirements are different from special land use and site plan requirements. They are different processes with different considerations,” Knox said. “If the board were to approve this tonight … the zoning in this area would change from B1 to B3 for the specific purpose of a car wash. That approval could not be rescinded even in the hypothetical scenario where the traffic levels and the noise levels indicated high impact in that area.”