The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a 90-day extension of a moratorium on automated car wash businesses.

The measure will now be in effect until Dec. 8.

“My concern with all of this has always been focused on our residents. They are my main concern with the trend we’ve seen of these businesses opening in close proximity to their homes,” Council President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander said. “Under our current zoning, these businesses were allowed to open in these areas. I don’t think it’s something people really anticipated being a problem when these laws were put in place. But what we are trying to do now is fix that and ensure these businesses only operate in areas that do not pose a problem to residents or pedestrians.”

The council’s unanimous decision came after hearing from several residents on July 30, all of whom spoke in support of the moratorium.

James Fowler, director of the city’s Department of Transportation, told the council during the July 30 meeting that applications for automated car washes have surged recently, something that aligns with national trends. The problem, he said, is that car wash operations are unique in that their sole purpose is to generate auto traffic, which can have negative effects on public safety, property and the overall transportation system.

“I don’t want to say we are anti-car wash,” Fowler said. “There are places where they are appropriate and where we would welcome them. However, we are seeing such an increase or a surge in car wash requests specifically in areas that cause concern … that is what has given us concern and that is why we do recommend a moratorium so we can reassess how this is affecting our community.”