The Fairview Planning Commission on March 18 approved a commercial site plan for a Walmart fuel center at 7100 Hopgood Road (PC0725), permitting a 1,618-square-foot convenience store with fueling canopy, and limiting the applicant’s design exception for masonry to the building’s front elevation only.

Why it matters: Commissioners wrestled with the City of Fairview Design Review Manual’s 70% masonry requirement after staff reported the applicant sought an exception to match corporate branding used on the adjacent Walmart Supercenter. Commissioners pressed the applicant for changes that would increase masonry coverage on one elevation while allowing a reduced masonry requirement where signage and branding are significant.

Staff said the site proposal includes required parking, stormwater infrastructure and access from both Adele Road and Hopgood Road. Staff recommended approval but noted an exception to the design manual for 70% masonry coverage. The project team explained that the blue EIFS “badge” on the building’s corner is a corporate branding element and that wrapping signage and canopy branding are important to their design language. The firm also said modest adjustments — shifting control joints and raising a stone wainscot a few feet — could materially increase masonry percentage on problem elevations.

Commission discussion focused on how to quantify compliance and how to balance design continuity with local masonry standards. Commissioners and the applicant agreed on a design compromise: increase masonry coverage on the side and rear elevations and reduce the EIFS corner element so the masonry percentage improves on the side elevations; the board then limited the exception to the front elevation.

Access and circulation: Staff asked the commission to consider requiring right-in, right-out circulation at the Adele Road entrance to reduce conflicting left-turn movements at a nearby intersection. The applicant preferred a full-access driveway for customer convenience; staff noted the applicant’s circulation plan could work under a right-in, right-out condition. The commission discussed the matter but did not impose a separate vehicular-access condition in lieu of other approvals.

Vote and outcome: The commission approved PC0725 as amended. A roll-call vote on the amendment that limited the masonry exception to the front elevation carried 8–0. The final approval of the site plan carried 8–0.

Decisions vs. direction: The commission adopted a narrower exception to the 70% masonry rule limited to the building’s front elevation and encouraged the applicant to increase brick/stone on side elevations and reduce EIFS where feasible. Staff retained responsibility for technical circulation and stormwater compliance during permit review.

Sources: Planning staff presentation; applicant representatives (Carlson Consulting Engineers and SGA Design Group); roll-call votes recorded in the March 18 meeting transcript.