Maricopa — The Planning and Zoning Commission on July 14 approved a zoning map amendment (ZON25-03) to rezone approximately 3.55 acres at the southeast corner of West Boland Road and North Porter Road from Neighborhood Commercial (NC) to General Commercial (GC) for a proposed Terrible's gasoline station, convenience store and accessory car wash.

Steven Anderson, land use attorney with Gammon and Burnham representing the applicant, told the commission that the gas station and convenience store uses are permitted by right under the site’s commercial general plan designation and that the car wash was the principal reason for the rezoning request. “The gas station and convenience store are already permitted by right on the site. It's the car wash that triggers the separate rezoning case,” Anderson said.

Why it matters: neighbors and commissioners raised concerns about noise, vehicle queueing, pedestrian safety near schools and the proposed site’s proximity to multiple residential developments. The applicant revised the site plan after earlier hearings to address those issues and committed to provide an acoustic study demonstrating compliance with the city’s noise standards; the commission added that study as a condition tied to later site plan and permitting review.

What changed: Derek Sheer, planning division staff, summarized the second submittal. The revised plan removes an earlier southern pump canopy, adds pumps to the north canopy so the project now proposes 14 fuel pumps (down from an earlier 20), and relocates and reorients the accessory car wash so its noisiest component faces the adjacent commercial arterial and not the single‑family homes north of Boland. Sheer emphasized that the car wash is a small, one‑car tunnel about 600 square feet (not 600 feet long), and staff said the applicant moved vacuum stations and expanded landscaping to increase the buffer between vehicle operations and nearby residences.

Traffic, access and staging were a focus of the hearing. The applicant’s traffic engineer and staff described the two proposed access drives as right‑in/right‑out only; drivers seeking to head south on Porter Road would need to exit northward and use a protected signalized U‑turn at the nearby intersection. Commissioners and the applicant discussed “pork‑chop” island geometry and wider tapering of entrance islands to discourage illegal left turns. The applicant’s traffic consultant said the submitted traffic impact analysis supports the proposed right‑in/right‑out configuration and deceleration lanes currently under design with the city engineer.

Noise and hours: the applicant agreed to additional noise mitigation measures including two 8‑foot CMU abatement walls flanking the car wash exit, sound diffusers in the dryer units, relocation of vacuums away from residences, and increased, mature landscaping at the southern property line. Brett Griffin, Terrible's real estate development manager, said the company “does not have any plans at this time to develop the leftover parcel to the east.” The applicant also agreed to restrict car‑wash hours to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; staff and the applicant accepted a commission request that an acoustic study be submitted to demonstrate compliance with the city’s noise performance standards and that the study be provided before site plan approval and building permits are issued.

Public comment: a property manager for the Oasis multifamily complex across the street submitted a written letter of opposition that was handed out to commissioners prior to the hearing. A public speaker, Ron and Jarami (represented on the meeting sign‑in), urged more landscaping and said the area’s residential growth, school locations and commuter traffic make rezoning to general commercial inappropriate. “I don't believe that the safety issues are addressed as well as the request for additional landscaping along Boland, Porter, and Allen Stevens,” the speaker told commissioners.

Commission action: commissioners voted first to reconsider the prior zoning decision and then voted to approve ZON25-03 with a stipulation requiring an acoustic study to confirm compliance with the zoning noise performance standards. The motion to approve included the stipulation that the acoustic study be provided and verified before site plan approval or building permits are issued. The vote was taken by voice; the meeting record does not include a roll‑call tally in the transcript.

What’s next: staff will continue technical review of the DRP and will require the acoustic study, final photometrics and any additional revisions necessary to meet the zoning code before issuing permits. The DRP presentation remains an informational step; formal site plan and building permit review will follow the rezoning and the conditions the commission specified.