BY DAN HILDEBRAN
The Lake Butler City Commission, acting as its own board of adjustment, approved a special exception that removes one barrier for the construction of a Wawa convenience store at the corner of State Roads 121 and 231.
Jarod Stubbs of Kimley-Horn answered commissioners’ questions about the site plan, roads, the placement of fuel storage tanks, and stormwater drainage during an April 15 meeting.
Stubbs told commissioners that part of the project improves Southwest 7th Avenue, which runs west of the property, and Southwest 1st Way, which runs behind the property along the north side of the two parcels that comprise the project.
Mayor Melissa Hendrix noted that Southwest 1st Way is the only access point for the Community Revival Outreach Ministry Church of God by Faith.
Hendrix told Stubbs that the church is not a Sunday-only congregation but meets many times during the week, and any restrictions on access to the street would create hardships for church members.
Commissioners Rondoll Huggins and Annette Redman quarried the engineer about the project’s underground stormwater storage tanks.
Stubbs said the underground tank is necessary because the two parcels do not contain enough land for a retention pond. He agreed with Redman that underground tanks are common in urban areas.
The 6,374-square-foot store and gas station will have 16 fueling stations.
In a memo to the board of adjustment, the Land Development Regulation Administrator determined that the new store would require an additional 270 gallons of potable water, produce 414 gallons of sewer effluent, and create 36 pounds of solid waste per day, all of which fall within the city’s capacity.
The administrator also forecasted an increase in p.m. peak hour trips from the store from 1,962 to 2,285 per day, resulting in no change in the current traffic service level on the four road segments surrounding the store.
Stubbs told commissioners that the front of the store will face Circle K across State Road 231 from the proposed store. A drive-through will run along the south side of the building, near State Road 121.
