The Street Seen: Car Wash Operation
181 Ocean Park Blvd @ Main
The 1970s Coin Op Car Wash on the North West Corner of Main St and Ocean Park Blvd.
Marten Brettler, who owns an almost identical self service car wash at 12415 Venice Blvd (just west of Centinela and built in 1964 on a 110 ft x 78 ft lot), acquires the vacant 181 Ocean Park Blvd lot in October 1970.
After receiving a City variance (to not have to provide a 5 ft side yard to the residential property to the west), the car wash receives a building permit in November 1970 and opens in February 1971.
After Brettler’s death in 1987, the business (car washes at 181 Ocean Park Blvd and 12415 Venice Blvd) is run by his wife Eva Brettler. The Ocean Park car wash is remodeled in October 1988 – with a new mansard and a change of signage to Village Car Wash.
The Ocean Park site is on single parcel (APN 4288-014-034) of 100 ft x 68 ft (for a total lot size of 6,961 sq-feet). It is Santa Monica zoned Neighborhood Commercial (NC Main Street).
Automobile/Vehicle Washing is no longer a permitted use in NC zones. The car wash use was established in compliance with the standards and requirements in effect at the time (1970) it commenced but does not now comply with current zoning. Such a use is considered a Legal Nonconforming Use. A legal, nonconforming use may be continued subject to certain provisions.
The other car wash in Ocean Park, the full-service Bonus Car Wash, is located at 2800 Lincoln (Ashland) which, like most of Lincoln south of the 10 Freeway, is zoned General Commercial (GC). With a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), Automobile/Vehicle Washing is a permitted use in General Commercial zones.
