Zoning board votes down proposed Daily’s gas station in Fruit Cove

The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency voted down plans for a Daily’s gas station in Fruit Cove after residents voiced their opposition.

The 7.7-acre property is located on either side of Otoe’s Place and State Road 13, at the entrance to the residential neighborhood Fruit Cove Estates.

The property used to be a nursery until First Coast Energy bought it, planning to build a 12-pump gas station with a 24-hour Daily’s convenience store and car wash on the south parcel and offices on the north parcel.

Developers were hoping the PZA would approve a request for a future land use amendment to change the use from Residential to Community Commercial, which is the designation of the property next to it. The future land use amendment is needed to build gas pumps, but everything else is currently allowed.

It’s currently zoned community general to provide a buffer between residential and high-density commercial development, and the owners did not request a rezoning.

The PZA had already denied the same request in April 2016, citing concerns about traffic and the impact on the neighborhood. After the denial, the company withdrew its application.

The resubmitted proposal included several changes to alleviate those concerns. Plans for a fast-food restaurant were dropped, and additional buffers were added along S.R. 13 and between the gas station and single-family homes behind it.

Residents were concerned that because their neighborhood relies solely on well water, a gas station and car wash had potential to contaminate their drinking water.

“One of the most tangible concerns is that we’re on private wells,” resident Cindy Dunlop said. “I just cannot imagine any situation where you would jeopardize our residents especially when there’s no need for another gas station.”

Several residents pointed out that there are multiple gas stations within miles of the property, including a Daily’s on Race Track Road.

“Do we really need another gas station in that area? It seems we have been saturated with this type of facility,” Linn Grayson said. “It seems like they have the area pretty well covered, and I don’t see the need for another on Route 13.”

Traffic was also a major concern among residents and PZA members, particularly with an entrance to the gas station off of Otoe’s Place.

“I’ve been looking at this site for about a year, scratching my head and wondering what is the highest and best use for this durn thing because of the access challenges, and I really don’t know what that is quite frankly,” said PZA member Greg Matovina. “Tying a driveway into Otoe’s Place is really problematic.”

Developers compared the proposal to what is allowed under the current future land use and zoning — a 75,000-square-foot shopping center that doesn’t require as much green space and would generate more traffic than a gas station.

“We’re not against the development of this property. We understand that a 75,000-square-foot development could be put in its place, and it should say something that a majority of those who live around the area would be for that instead of a 7,000-square foot gas station,” resident Christian Leiby said during public comment.

Some agency members felt there wasn’t enough proof that the gas station would lower property values or impact the well water, but it came down to compatibility. Residents broke out into applause when the agency voted 4-3 to deny approval of the request.