Agenda Packets - 2004/11/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Station Report Nov 22, 2004 Page 7 (8) Adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and necessary facilities have been or will be provided. While staff has not had an opportunity to conduct a detailed analysis of these issues, the present utilities, access roads, drainage and necessary facilities are likely sufficient. I have spoken to individuals who are currently involved in the motor fuel dispensing industry and asked if additional pumps at a small station would tend to ease or add to traffic congestion. I was told that many factors determine a location’s volume, and that congestion is more a function of site design and the size of the lot rather than the number of pumps. Typically the customer base for a fuel station is definite, which is to say that fuel consumers tend to not go out of their way to make fuel purchases. Commuters on County Road 10 or 35W, for example, are very unlikely to intentionally exit onto County Road I solely to purchase gas at The Station. That being said, one could argue that absent site constraints, the addition of two fuel stations would not ADD to the number of customers per day, but instead would service the existing customer base in a more efficient manner. Parking. To receive approval of a conditional use permit, there must be adequate parking on site for the use. Chapter 1121 of the Zoning Code prescribes the required parking ratios for the various land uses allowed in the City. For a motor fuel station, the parking requirements are as follows: At least four (4) off-street parking spaces plus two (2) off-street parking spaces for each service stall. Those facilities designed for sale of other items than strictly automotive products, parts or service shall be required to provide additional parking in compliance with other applicable sections of this Title. And… At least one (1) off-street parking space for each one hundred (100) square feet of retail floor area plus one (1) per employee. From this admittedly cumbersome parking requirement, the Station would currently need to provide for a minimum of fifteen parking stalls—eleven stalls for the retail component (1,000 square feet plus one employee) and four spaces for the fuel component. There are currently twelve parking spaces at The Station--eight designated parking stalls and four under the canopy. Short by three stalls, The Station currently does not meet the parking requirements. If The Station expands to four pumps as desired, it is probable that one if not all of the spaces diagonally adjacent to the sidewalk would need to be eliminated to guard against someone backing into the new fuel pumps, further exacerbating the parking deficiency.