Case File · Perrysburg, Ohio · December 2024
5-1 to reopen the market. One councilman said the word “eyesore.”
On December 19, 2024, Perrysburg City Council voted 5-1 to lift a two-year car wash moratorium. Kerry Wellstein, Mark Weber, Cory Kuhlman, Kevin Fuller, and Rick Rettig voted to lift. Tim McCarthy voted to continue. Barry VanHoozen was absent.
The market that reopens is already crowded — seven car washes inside the city and five more within a mile, based on 2023 figures. Councilman McCarthy warned that competing operators often fail, leaving what he called an “eyesore” behind.
Jurisdiction
City of Perrysburg
Wood County, OH
Council Vote
5-1 Lift
December 19, 2024
Prior Moratorium
Jan 2023 – Dec 2024
Lifted before sunset
Market Saturation
7 + 5 within 1 mi
2023 figures cited by council
RealClear Analysis
A lifted moratorium is not a green light.
Perrysburg's 5-1 vote reopened the market but left the saturation concern unaddressed. That gap is where the next car wash application will be fought — by the same council, with one no vote already publicly committed.
Lifting is not the same as legitimizing
The majority chose to let the market decide rather than entrench the moratorium. But by Councilman Kuhlman's own statement, the city did not adopt new car wash integration guidelines. New applications enter a policy vacuum, not a welcoming framework.
Saturation is the deciding diligence question
Seven existing car washes inside the city plus five more within a mile is the fact pattern any new operator needs to underwrite against. The council itself flagged this. It is not a secret; it is the market signal.
Watch the 'eyesore' argument — it is portable
McCarthy's warning about failed operators leaving vacant facilities is a reusable political argument. Any new application that triggers neighborhood opposition will likely see this argument resurface in council discussion.
Market Analysis
Perrysburg Car Wash Market
Post-December 19, 2024 Council Action
Market Conditions
- Two-year moratorium ended Dec 19, 2024 — before the Dec 31, 2024 natural expiration
- 7 car washes already operate inside Perrysburg city limits (2023 data)
- 5 additional car washes sit within one mile of city boundaries (2023 data)
- Original trigger: developer interest in former Social Gastropub site on State Route 25
- Absent: Councilmember Barry VanHoozen; sole dissent: Councilman Tim McCarthy
Council Vote
5-1 Lift
DEC 19, 2024Prior Moratorium
Jan 2023 – Dec 2024
2 YEARSExisting Saturation
7 in-city + 5 within 1 mi
2023 DATADissent
Councilman Tim McCarthy
"EYESORE" RISKCase Timeline · 2023–2024
From moratorium to 5-1 discontinuation.
Perrysburg imposed a moratorium in early 2023 and then ended it early in late 2024. The 5-1 vote is the operative record for market re-entry.
January 2023
Perrysburg imposes car wash moratorium
The City of Perrysburg imposes a moratorium on new car wash facilities inside city limits. At the time, there are seven car washes already operating inside Perrysburg and five additional car washes within a mile of the city boundary. The trigger is developer interest in converting the former Social Gastropub site on State Route 25 into a car wash.
2023–2024
Moratorium remains in force, set to expire December 31, 2024
The moratorium remains in force through 2023 and 2024, giving the city time to study car wash land use. The moratorium has a natural sunset date of December 31, 2024, meaning a council decision is required before then to extend or end it.
Late 2024
Council takes up question of lifting the moratorium early
With the moratorium's December 31, 2024 expiration approaching, Perrysburg City Council takes up the question of whether to let it expire, extend it, or formally lift it. The active choice sends a clearer regulatory signal than a passive expiration.
December 19, 2024
City Council votes 5-1 to lift the moratorium
Perrysburg City Council votes 5-1 to lift the car wash moratorium. Voting in favor of lifting: Kerry Wellstein, Mark Weber, Cory Kuhlman, Kevin Fuller, and Rick Rettig. Voting against: Tim McCarthy. Absent: Barry VanHoozen. The action ends the moratorium before its December 31, 2024 natural expiration.
December 19, 2024
Councilman Weber and Councilman Wellstein frame the rationale
Councilman Mark Weber is quoted by the Toledo Blade stating: "I don't wash my car in my driveway like I used to. I don't want to hinder anybody who wants to do this in Perrysburg." Councilman Wellstein emphasizes free-enterprise principles for business development. Councilman Kuhlman notes the city has not developed guidelines for car wash integration.
December 19, 2024
Councilman McCarthy warns of competitive failure
Councilman Tim McCarthy casts the lone no vote and warns that competing car wash facilities often fail, leaving what he describes as an "eyesore" in their place, per Toledo Blade reporting.
December 20, 2024
Toledo Blade publishes vote reporting
The Toledo Blade publishes detailed reporting confirming the 5-1 vote, the named voters on each side, the absence, and the quotes from Weber, Wellstein, Kuhlman, and McCarthy.
December 23, 2024
Sentinel-Tribune corroborates
The Sentinel-Tribune publishes corroborating coverage of the moratorium discontinuation. Together with the Toledo Blade and WTOL reporting, the record is triple-sourced.
January 2025 onward
Market reopens in a saturated suburban environment
Developers can again apply to build new car washes inside Perrysburg. The 2023 saturation numbers — 7 inside the city, 5 within a mile — establish the competitive baseline. Any new applicant is entering an environment where the council's sole dissenter already warned about failure and eyesore risk.
Key Officials & Stakeholders
Named votes. On the record.
Tim McCarthy
Perrysburg City Councilman
Lone no vote — December 19, 2024
Documented Record
Cast the only no vote on the 5-1 decision to lift the moratorium. Warned that competing car wash facilities often fail, leaving "an eyesore" in their place (Toledo Blade, Dec 20, 2024).
McCarthy's concern is the most practical one on the record — market saturation can lead to failed operators and vacant facilities. His dissent is a forward-looking flag for any operator underwriting a Perrysburg site: the political room to oppose the next car wash is already on the record.
Mark Weber
Perrysburg City Councilman
Supported lifting — December 19, 2024
Documented Record
Voted to lift the moratorium. Quoted by the Toledo Blade stating: "I don't wash my car in my driveway like I used to. I don't want to hinder anybody who wants to do this in Perrysburg."
Weber's framing captures the consumer-preference argument that the council majority used. It is an argument that scales — any suburban Ohio jurisdiction facing a similar moratorium debate can hear the same framing. It is also narrowly personal, which limits its force if the next application triggers specific site-level objections.
Kerry Wellstein
Perrysburg City Councilman
Supported lifting — December 19, 2024
Documented Record
Voted to lift the moratorium. Emphasized free-enterprise principles for business development, per Toledo Blade reporting.
Wellstein's argument was the policy-principle version of Weber's consumer-preference argument. Combined, the two voiced the majority's view — but neither addressed McCarthy's market-saturation concern. That concern remains available for reuse at any future car wash hearing.
Cory Kuhlman
Perrysburg City Councilman
Supported lifting — December 19, 2024
Documented Record
Voted to lift the moratorium. Noted that the city had not developed guidelines for car wash integration, per Toledo Blade reporting.
Kuhlman's point is the operating insight for any next-in operator: Perrysburg lifted the moratorium without adopting new car wash-specific zoning or integration standards. That means the next car wash applications will be reviewed under existing zoning — but it also means the council has flagged the gap, and new standards could follow.
Primary Source Documents
3 DocumentsEvery finding cited to the source. Click any document to open it in a new tab.
Toledo Blade · December 20, 2024
Toledo Blade detailed reporting on the 5-1 vote, identifying all five council members who voted to lift (Wellstein, Weber, Kuhlman, Fuller, Rettig), the lone dissenter (McCarthy), the absence (VanHoozen), and the moratorium's 2023 origin tied to the former Social Gastropub site.
This is the strongest single source for this case — it names every voter on both sides, preserves verbatim quotes from multiple council members, and documents the original moratorium trigger. Use it for all named-actor claims.
News CoverageWTOL 11 · December 2024
WTOL 11 television news confirming the 5-1 council vote and the discontinuation of the moratorium.
Corroborating broadcast source. Use it to confirm the vote count. Defer to the Toledo Blade for specifics on named voters, absences, and quotes.
News CoverageSentinel-Tribune · December 23, 2024
Sentinel-Tribune local coverage corroborating the Perrysburg City Council's decision to end the moratorium.
Third corroborating source, published several days after the vote. Useful for triple-sourcing the core claim. Does not supersede the Toledo Blade on vote detail.
News CoverageRealClear
Know the council's named positions before you file.
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