In 4-to-3 Vote, Stafford Planning Commission Recommends Approval of Buc-ee's
The company's application for a rezoning and conditional use permit to build a travel center in the Courthouse Road area now goes to the county Board of Supervisors.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The Stafford Planning Commission on Wednesday voted 4-to-3 to recommend approval of a request from Buc-ee’s for a rezoning and conditional use permit to construct a travel center with a 74,000 square-foot retail store and 120 vehicle fuel pumps in the Courthouse Road area.
Commissioners Kelsey Caudill (George Washington district), Carlos Bratton (Griffis-Widewater), Willie Shelton (Hartwood), and Marcus Oats (Falmouth) supported Caudill’s substitute motion recommending approval.
Chair Kristen Barnes (Rock Hill) and Commissioners Maureen Siegmund (Aquia) and Gregory Goldstein (Garrisonville) voted against the motion.
Goldstein, who represents the district where the Buc-ee’s would be located, made a motion to defer consideration of the application for another month, citing “unanswered questions” associated with impacts on traffic, nearby businesses, and property values.
The majority of commissioners supported Caudill’s substitute motion to recommend approval and send the application along to the Board of Supervisors for a final decision.
“I have the same concerns as everyone out in the public. I really do,” Caudill said. “But this has been an ongoing process, and to work out those things with [the Virginia Department of Transportation] could take months, and I think we need to get it to the Board so they can work out proffers. I think the Board is ready to look at this project.”
County staff recommended denial of both the application to rezone the 38.7-acre property from B2 (urban commercial) to B1 (convenience commercial)—to allow vehicle fuel sales and “high intensity commercial retail”—and the conditional use permit.
According to the staff report, the proposed commercial retail use is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, and proposed evergreen buffers will “help minimize impacts on adjacent properties,” some of which are within a few hundred feet.
However, staff concluded that the transportation improvements being offered do not mitigate some of the “significant” impacts—especially at the intersection of Courthouse Road and Austin Ridge Drive—identified by a Traffic Impact Analysis, and that it is “uncertain” how the fuel canopy light levels will impact existing and future residences.
Staff also noted that it is “uncertain how the project will comply with the Comprehensive Plan guideline encouraging development maintain or improve the quality of life for all residents.”
Representatives for Buc-ee’s who were present on Wednesday said the project does properly mitigate traffic impacts to the extent required by county code.
“Your policy says design to maintain a [Level of Service] of C, and where achieving a level of C is not practicable given existing transportation difficulties … just don’t degrade,” said Karen Cohen, a land use attorney with Gentry Locke. “Your policy recognizes that in some instances, it may be impossible for performance to be maintained or for one individual applicant to provide the transportation improvements which maybe needed. The applicant can contribute to improvements … and that is exactly what Buc-ee’s has done after talking with the county and VDOT over 2.5 years.”
Because the project proposes modifications to Exit 140 off Interstate 95, Buc-ee’s is required to develop an Operational and Safety Analysis Report with the Federal Highway Administration, a process that can take 18-24 months to complete.
Cohen stressed that Buc-ee’s has proffered to provide mitigation for any impacts this report identifies as Buc-ee’s responsibility.
“They have proffered a legally binding commitment that whatever the [report] and the federal, state, and local authorities determine is necessary to mitigate those impacts, that they will do it,” she said.
Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s director of real estate and development, said the company is already offering to mitigate “unquestionably far beyond what any one else has either been asked to do or has done.”
“The worst thing we could ever do is build a store with a traffic problem,” he added.
Goldstein and the commissioners who wanted to defer said they said believe there are still too many unanswered questions about traffic and other impacts.
“I have been to many of these meetings and heard the overwhelming public comments that this isn’t ready,” Goldstein said. “Kicking it to the board with it not being ready is not the way I believe this board should be doing business.”
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We do not need this gas station/“convenience” store to pollute our environment and create more traffic congestion thus contributing to more pollution in our air and waterways. Not to mention we need to keep our dollars in VA; not going to some corporation’s CEO out of state.