Ryan Rogers of Heathsville got the go-ahead to develop a gas station at the intersection of Northumberland Highway and Folly Rd.
The property, which is listed with the addresses 15619 and 15631 Northumberland Highway, is currently vacant. But the conditional use permit that the Northumberland Supervisors unanimously approved this month allows Rogers to proceed with his plan to add a card reader-only fueling station.
There will not be a convenience store on the site, which Rogers expects will help eliminate the likelihood of loitering.
Except for the Buoy in Burgess, there’s no place from Fleeton to Horsehead going west or from Fleeton to Wicomico going south to buy gas, Rogers told the Supervisors. So, “people are excited about this,” he said.
He explained that he planned to have a clean, modern-looking station that’s well lit. One of his main goals with this venture is to capitalize on the large amount of tractor-trailer traffic that passes through the area.
To do so, he said the facility will have two fueling stations for large trucks where drivers can fuel both sides at one time. Those high-capacity pumps will get them in and out while bringing more revenue to the county, he said.
Rogers noted that, to his knowledge, there aren’t any public charging stations in Northumberland right now.
Adding four high-powered charging stations at his facility isn’t likely to bring any more people to the county, “but it’ll make it more convenient for the people visiting our county and give them a better outlook on what we provide here,” he told the board.
He added that the charging stations allow users to schedule times for charging. So, someone in New York who will be visiting the area can plan ahead to charge after arriving, he noted.
Rogers said hopefully everything he is doing will benefit the county.
Board chairman Richard Haynie agreed it’s a good idea to have some place for fueling tractor-trailers because there are limited options for truckers now.
Neighboring property owner Steven Jett was one of only two members of the public to comment on the proposal. He made clear that he wasn’t opposed. “I’m all for it. It’s a good thing. We need it,” he said.
But Jett wanted to ensure that no light from the business will shine into his house. Further, he requested some form of noise barrier.
Jennifer Lucritz, who lives on Old Fairport Rd., stated she did not have a problem with the project either, but she was concerned about the charging stations.
“What’s that going to do to our electrical grid?” she asked. “My only concern is us having problems, power outages and so forth.”
Rogers admitted that he couldn’t answer questions about the impact charging stations would have on the electrical grid. But he said that issue will be part of the research that’ll be done.
With regards to Jett’s concern about a barrier, Rogers said he also planned for research to be conducted on that topic as well.
The conditions for Rogers’ conditional use permit included the requirement for downward lighting and a structural buffer. Additionally, the permit excludes approval to repair vehicles at the site but does allow him to add a car wash in the future.
Supervisor Tommy Tomlin asked Rogers if he planned to put up No Loitering and No Trespassing signs, which helps give the Sheriff’s Office grounds to take action.
Rogers said he planned to do so. Moreover, he invited any law enforcement to sit on the property at any time. He said they can do their paperwork there and run radar there.
Rogers said he wants authorities to be comfortable being there at any time, and he believes that will help with any issues of people hanging out.
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