LAGUNA BEACH

More than 20 residents turned out for Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting to show their opposition to a proposed hand car wash at the corner of Cliff Drive and North Coast Highway.

The neighbors’ biggest concerns were the threat of more noise and increased traffic snarls.

But the commission voted unanimously to approve the requested conditional use permit to build on the commercially and residentially zoned lot.

Commissioner Elizabeth Pearson told residents and developers to remember the commissions primary responsibility is to do everything by the book and follow the city’s ordinances.

“It [the car wash] is an allowed use with a conditional-use permit, and it must be tourist serving,” Pearson said. “I prefer that it’s resident serving too--and technically a car wash is resident serving.”