Council approves zoning change to allow convenience-store gasoline stations in limited service-commercial area

The Summit County Council voted to approve Ordinance 976, amending section 10-2-10 of the Snideville Basin development code to allow gasoline service stations with attached convenience stores as a conditional use in the service commercial (SC) zone.

Applicant and site: Maverick Incorporated representatives said they have a parcel under contract in the Park East/Geneva business park area and sought the text amendment so a proposed convenience store and fueling center could be considered under a future conditional-use/master-plan review by the planning commission. Richard Pigott, representing Maverick, said the company will apply modern environmental protections at the site and noted that the geotechnical report for the parcel is favorable. "We use the latest in leak detection" and will install liners and monitoring close to wetland areas, Pigott said.

Council deliberation: Councilmembers asked about proximity to Poison Creek and other water resources, the potential for multiple stations in the zone and conditional-use safeguards. Staff and the applicant said any future fuel facility would return to the planning commission for a conditional-use review and specific conditions (spill prevention, liners, monitoring) would be applied at that stage.

Vote and next steps: Council approved Ordinance 976 after a public hearing and planning-commission recommendation. The zoning change is limited to a small, preexisting service-commercial area; additional fuel sites elsewhere would require separate zoning actions. The applicant said it will proceed with the planning-commission master-plan/conditional-use application if the ordinance becomes effective.