Developer presents plans for 14-acre annexation; council approves first reading

Pickens City Council held the first reading of an annexation petition on May 11 to bring roughly 14 acres into the city’s limits for a planned development district and a proposed Sphinx fueling station and convenience store.

Greg Min, executive vice president of real estate for Sphinx, told the council the company’s plan preserves a historic 1936 stockade/jail on the site and that the initial site work will disturb about 3–3.5 acres for the development while leaving much of the tract undisturbed. Min estimated the project would represent approximately $9.5 million in local investment if annexed and said permitting and construction timelines could put the facility on track to open in 2027 if annexation and the permitting process proceed on schedule.

Min said the scheme calls for a diesel turn lane and other DOT-coordinated driveway improvements. He also said Sphinx has prepared grading and architectural plans and will submit formal plans to the city if annexation is approved. "We have gone the steps to preserve it because we know there's more important things potentially than us tearing down something that's been there since 1936," Min said regarding the stockade.

City staff emphasized that annexation would place the property in a planned development district, and that no site work would proceed without planning commission and council approvals for any site plans. The first reading passed unanimously; further reviews by planning staff, the planning commission and subsequent council approvals will determine final site details and conditions.

If the annexation proceeds, the developer estimated permitting review of 90–120 days after submission and a typical 8–9 month buildout period for construction.