Roanoke County approves removal of proffers to allow Sheetz at Franklin Road

The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors voted April 23 to remove five proffered conditions on a 0.978-acre parcel at 4143 Franklin Road, clearing the way for a Sheetz convenience store with fuel pumps.

Philip Thompson, the county’s director of planning, told the board the property had been rezoned in May 1989 with conditions tied to a concept plan and that the applicant seeks to remove those proffers so both parcels will be zoned C-2 without conditions. Thompson summarized that the parcel is located at the intersection of Valley Avenue and Franklin Road and that the planning commission unanimously recommended approval after reviewing a traffic study that incorporated planned VDOT intersection improvements.

“We’re simply here using the procedural mechanism that is the rezoning application process to request your approval of our efforts to remove the existing proffered conditions,” said Max Weegard, counsel for Sheetz, describing the company’s plan to redevelop the former bank site and noting that the traffic study was done with VDOT input and that VDOT had concurred and granted exemptions related to site access.

Board members asked technical questions about storm sewer work, sidewalks and access changes. Thompson said storm-sewer improvements were done long ago and that the applicant agreed to install sidewalks and a handicap crossing to tie into VDOT’s future through-cut improvements. A county traffic engineer told the board the left‑turn lane at the site can stack approximately 8–10 vehicles and that Sheetz is projected to add about 1–2 vehicles in the peak hour per signal cycle.

One board member summarized the practical effect of removing proffers: “A lot of the stuff that was done in the past is sort of like handcuffs,” meaning removing the proffers would allow future owners by-right C-2 uses if the applicant does not proceed.

With no in-person public speakers (the planning commission had received one emailed comment about potential increased traffic), Board member (speaker 10) moved to approve the petition; Board member (speaker 8) seconded. The clerk called the roll and the recorded votes were “Yes” from Mister Radford; Missus ****** (name redacted in transcript); Mister Mahoney; and Mister North. The motion carried, removing the five proffers and leaving the parcels as blanket C-2.

The approval does not alter VDOT’s schedule for intersection improvements; Ashley Mathena, assistant resident engineer at the Salem Residency, told the board the VDOT through‑cut project will be paired with other county UPCs and that a contractor will set the sequence, so the timing may not align exactly with Sheetz construction. The board’s action permits Sheetz to move forward with site development subject to any applicable permitting and VDOT access approvals.

Next steps: Sheetz may proceed toward design and permitting under the county’s C-2 standards and final site plans, and board members noted that short-term traffic impacts could occur before the VDOT through‑cut is constructed.