Planning commission approves Kintner Commercial preliminary plat and conditional use for fuel-and-convenience site with pedestrian condition

Sunbury City Planning and Zoning Commission members voted unanimously on March 24 to approve a preliminary plat for the Kintner Commercial development and to grant conditional‑use approval for Lot 5 to host an auto service/fuel-and-convenience use, after discussing traffic geometry, stormwater and pedestrian access.

The commission's vote followed an applicant presentation and a staff report. Joe Luby, a planner with MH&T, told the commission the proposal would realign Cheshire Road, create five lots and place the proposed store on Lot 5. "We are asking for an auto service station," Luby said, adding the use would include a retail building, fueling canopy with underground fuel storage, an attached car wash and vacuum stations. Steve Shell, a civil engineer (MH&T), described the proposed stormwater basins and how runoff would be routed into an outlet and a basin at the rear of Lots 2 and 3.

Why it matters: the project reconfigures a segment of Cheshire Road and West Cherry Street, introduces two closely spaced traffic signals, and places a commercial fueling use adjacent to existing residentially zoned properties. Commissioners pressed the applicant on setback and screening standards, pedestrian connectivity along Cherry Street and the internal road geometry that will determine traffic movements and turning radii.

Key facts and immediate outcomes - Applicant: Joe Luby (MH&T) presented plans; Mitch Kolozar (Bell Storrs) and Steve Shell (civil…