The Altoona Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a land development plan for Sheetz to replace the car wash connected with its super store on 17th Street between the boulevards.

“We’re replacing everything — the pavement, building, lighting, landscaping and utility service lines,” said consulting engineer Greg Geishauser of Stiffler McGraw.

The replacement is in keeping with the company’s periodic, ongoing renewal plans, as he understands it, said city engineering Supervisor Rob Crossman.

The new car wash will be 939 square feet, about 100 square feet larger than the existing one, and it will include a new style vacuum apparatus, Geishauser said.

City officials would have handled the low-impact approval administratively — without involving the commission — except that the car wash extends over two parcels, one of which is leased to Sheetz, rather than owned by the company, according to Crossman.

The number of parking spaces on the car wash section of the property will go from 14 to 13, but that isn’t a problem, because the overall convenience store grounds have the number required, according to a narrative from the engineering consultant.

There are no parking requirements for the car wash itself, according to Geishauser.

The land was first developed in 2003.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.