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Bikini car wash

City Pushes Bikini Car Wash To Clean Up Act

San Antonio Car Wash Closed Temporarily For Code Violations

UPDATED: 3:28 pm EDT May 10, 2008

A San Antonio car wash with bikini-clad buffers was shut down Friday afternoon as its certificate of occupancy was revoked by the city.

The car wash was temporarily closed because of water violations, District 3 City Councilwoman Jennifer Ramos said.

"Typically, car washes have to have a specialized trap to catch the grease and oil that's washed off of cars," said Greg Flores, spokesman for the San Antonio Water System.

If the business owners can rectify the water trap problem, the business will be allowed to reopen, something area residents hope doesn't happen, reported KSAT-TV.

"Around school, it's around churches, it's around the fabric of our community," said Armando Cortez.

Cortez, the president of the Mission San Jose Neighborhood Association, said while they want business development in the area, they don't want the eye-opening work apparel worn by the car wash's employees.

Ramos said she would work with the business owners to change their business, but she wants the bikinis put away.

Car wash owner Ricardo Arsate said he'll comply with the city's request to have a special grease and oil trap, but he also said he's not convinced that was the reason the city shut him down.

Arsate said he's planning to open multiple locations across the city.

"There's nothing illegal about it," said Bernie Indianer, who owns an optometrist office across the street from the car wash. "I'm not even sure there's anything immoral about it. It's just the wrong place for it."

Indianer said that some of his patients said they're not going to visit him anymore if the car wash remains in business.

"They don't want their children exposed to it," he said.

But Jackie Pichardo, the car wash manager, said the business is legal and even got a visit from the San Antonio Vice Squad.

"Before we even had the opening, we did go around asking everybody if they had a problem with it," she said.

But officials at a nearby church said it doesn't approve of the business and sent a letter to the city.

And a local school board member said he plans to draft a resolution against the car wash and offer employees a chance to finish their education if they need to do so.

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