The Little Rock Planning Commission approved Thursday a Murphy USA application to locate a gas station and convenience store at the southeast corner of the Cantrell and Taylor Loop roads, sending the proposal to the Little Rock Board of Directors despite neighborhood opposition.
The commission voted 8-0 Thursday to recommend approval of the application. The fueling company is asking that the property be rezoned from single-family residential and planned commercial district to solely planned commercial district.
Murphy USA has proposed installing 10 to 12 two-sided fuel pumps and building a 3,445-square-foot convenience store on the 1.8-acre property. Currently, a vacant residential building and a One Banc branch are located there. Both buildings would be torn down as part of the development.
The city's Planning and Development Department staff originally opposed the proposal, citing concerns about traffic congestion along Cantrell Road.
After further meetings with Murphy USA representatives, staff members supported the proposal when the company agreed to prohibit left turns into the site from Taylor Loop Road and out of the site onto Cantrell Road. This eliminates drivers exiting the property from crossing oncoming traffic that often is backed up during busy hours.
Left turns and traffic concerns were also what several area neighborhood associations cited as their reasoning for opposing the gas station. Left turns would be allowed out of the property onto Taylor Loop Road and into the property from Cantrell Road under the proposal recommended Thursday.
"This provides fueling for 24 vehicles at a time. ... That is more pumps than any other station in Little Rock except for maybe a truck stop," said Patrick Anders, who identified himself as a resident of the area. "Our concern is that [the station is] creating a massive amount of on and off traffic that otherwise would go through. ... We ask you to deny the application and send the message that life safety is a serious consideration in the city."
In addition to the left-turn compromise, the company limited its proposed hours from a 24/7 operation to being open from 5 a.m. to midnight daily. City staff members noted in their report to the Planning Commission that those hours of operation are consistent with area businesses and restaurants, many of which are open until 1 a.m. on weekends.
But the neighborhood groups that showed up at Thursday's meeting still weren't satisfied with the application. Nicholas Alsop, president of the Pinnacle Valley Neighborhood Association, said he wouldn't be supportive unless left turns were eliminated altogether and the number of fueling stations decreased.
"It's not that we are against development; it's that we are really concerned about the safety and size of this. It's a really congested area already. We've got lots of things in this intersection. Adding to that will only make it worse," Alsop said in an interview before the meeting.
A Walgreens store and Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant are located in the northwest corner of the intersection. A 10 Fitness location is to the northeast and Bank of America is located east of the property. A Bank of the Ozarks branch is situated in the southwest corner.
Wayne Gibson, representing Murphy USA, said the proposed gas station and store would create between 11 and 15 jobs with an estimated annual payroll of about $275,000. The company has estimated that an establishment of the planned size will pay about $43,000 in county taxes, $360,000 in city taxes and $880,000 in fuel taxes to the state.
"We did meet with staff and addressed the concerns. We knew we only had one bite at this apple and we wanted to do it right the first time. We respectfully ask that you approve the application," Gibson told commissioners.
Commissioner Bill May told the opposition present on Thursday that he relates to their concerns but that they are going to have to get used to "a lot more gas stations and hamburger stations -- anything that creates traffic because that's where the traffic is."
The application now goes to the Board of Directors. On Tuesday, the board rescinded its Aug. 5 vote that allowed Murphy USA to locate a gas station at the intersection of South University Avenue and West 12th Street. The company then withdrew that application.
Before that, a proposal from Mapco to locate a store at Broadway and Third Street downtown drew criticism from several Pulaski County elected officials whose offices are located in the area. After a deferral to allow for compromise, the company eventually withdrew its request, citing complications with the property owner.
A date has not yet been set for the Board of Directors to hear Murphy USA's latest request.
Metro on 09/05/2014