NORWAY — A request from Krist Oil to change zoning language to accommodate the addition of a diesel island at its 625 Brown St. station in Norway failed to go forward this week.
Norway City Council on Wednesday heard Krist’s application for a zoning change to allow fuel stations in the B2 zoning district along U.S. 2 for properties that have a minimum of 10,000 square feet.
The current language does not allow fuel stations in the B2 district, but Krist was operating there before the district was created. The company can remodel its station on the inside and make minor changes to the outside, but cannot expand.
Krist owns a vacant lot neighboring the current station and wants to put a diesel island there.
Council members expressed concern over noise of idling semi-trucks parking overnight, the odor of diesel fuel and congestion from semi-trucks entering and leaving the station.
During public comments, neighbor and Saginaw Street resident Brian Wery said semi-trucks may not be able to make the turn onto the highway and will cut into his yard.
“The biggest issue we have with that, as neighbors, is the trucks making the right-hand turn onto Saginaw Street off U.S. 2 to get in, it cannot be done legally,” Wery said. “They need to take a look at the corner now, you can see almost 15 feet in my yard where they are going into it all the time. It doesn’t matter if it is a 53-foot truck or a logging truck, whether they cannot or will not make the turn is the big issue.”
Wery said he would like signage telling trucks not to go that way.
Ron Groth, an engineer representing Krist Oil, presented simulator videos showing a 53-foot semi-truck with a sleeper, the largest legal truck on the road, successfully leaving the station from all possible directions.
Groth said Krist does not anticipate semi-truck traffic to increase substantially, that semi-trucks were not the clients they were going after.
“All of these (simulations) are showing the worst-case scenario, the largest semis,” Groth said. “Usually a large semi like this will be part of a fleet program and they have their own centers that they will fill up at, you typically don’t see them at your local convenience store.”
Mayor Candy Brew noted that changing the zoning language would open the door to other fuel stations opening in the B2 zoning district.
City Manager Dan Stoltman, however, said that the likelihood of that happening is small given the available property. Council member Jeff Muraro added that nobody is building small fuel stations anymore.
Stoltman said that if the council approved the language change, Krist would need to present its plan to the planning commission. Muraro expressed his concern that once the language change was approved, it would be the end of the council’s oversight.
“If this is where oversight ends from the council, I am wary to personally vote yes for a zoning change,” Muraro said.
A motion to approve the change in zoning language was made by council member Rico Meneghini but did not receive a second.
A similar attempt to change the zoning language occurred back in 2007.
Source : Mining Journal
