By Seth Daniel
A pedal power industrial laundry business is looking to locate in one of Chelsea’s industrial districts, with the City moving a proposal to the City Council Monday that would altar the zoning for the business.
City Manager Tom Ambrosino put in a request to the Council at Monday’s meeting to change the zoning in the Industrial Zoning District to allow for the business to locate in the city. Under current zoning, an industrial laundry is not allowed in any district.
“The City has been working with a developers who is seeking to locate an industrial laundry facility in the City,” read a letter from Ambrosino. “The business has the potential to generate significant jobs. The developer has found a potential site in the City’s Industrial Zoning District, but our current zoning ordinance does not allow for this use anywhere in the City.”
Ambrosino is proposing to change the zoning ordinances to allow a commercial or industrial laundry in the Industrial District.
There was no address listed for the potential site of the laundry, though the Industrial District is a rather small area.
Council President Leo Robinson said the company is Wash Cycle Laundry, a business based in Philadelphia.
Founder Gabriel Mandujano has employed bicycles to deliver laundry and dry cleaning throughout the city of Philadelphia since 2010. In an article from Momentum Magazine, Mandujano said his crew loads up at the industrial laundry around 6 a.m. and delivers on bikes throughout the City for the morning hours. There is also an evening delivery time as well, all via bicycle.
He said most of his employees are from the prison re-entry programs and from welfare-to-work programs.
He said cargo bikes solve many problems related to traffic, gasoline and traffic congestion.
The bikes, he said, are electric assisted to help cyclists haul the heavy loads.
His company has the laundry contract for the Philadelphia Eagles football team. The company is located in Washington, D.C. and Austin, TX, and is apparently looking to plant a flag in the Boston area – via Chelsea.