Surf Thru Express Car Wash Opens In Pleasanton

PLEASANTON, CA — Nearly two years after the City of Pleasanton's planning commission approved the design and conditional use permit for a car wash on Stanley Boulevard, the new business has opened its doors.

Sail Thru Express Car Wash began operations earlier this month at 3598 Stanley Boulevard, the 21st location for the company. Sail Thru touts itself as an environmentally friendly and fast car wash that offers a hybrid between do-it-yourself and full service. Customers pull in, pay, then drive into a tunnel where vehicles are automatically washed, waxed and dried. Afterward, customers can self-vacuum their vehicles.

The approvals to construct and operate the semi-automated car wash and related site improvements on the previously vacant 1.5-acre lot were approved by the planning commission in February 2018.

Sail Thru marks the first standalone development for the 3598 Stanley Boulevard site. The lot had previously been used seasonally throughout the years as a Christmas tree sales lot.

At one time, there were plans to build a retail center at the site. In 2007, the planning commission approved a design review application to develop four separate retail buildings totaling approximately 31,326 square feet on the site and an adjacent lot.

Two extensions were granted on the design review approval, but the project went nowhere and the approval expired in 2010.

Then, in January 2011, the planning commission approved a new design review application for the same retail project, but no building permits were obtained and no extensions were requested; the design review approval expired in January 2012.