Planning commission recommends rezoning to allow gas station, convenience store at 802–810 S. Fourth St.

The DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 4 recommended that the city council rezone the properties at 802–810 South Fourth Street from General Commercial to Planned Development Commercial to permit a gas station and a convenience store.

City staff member Dan presented the staff report and said the 0.67-acre site formerly housed a White Hen convenience store and has been vacant since 2020. Dan said staff recommended approval of the rezoning, the preliminary and final development plan, and a future plat to combine the two existing lots.

The petitioner is listed as Amiko Hosen, represented by DVG Team Inc.; project representatives described plans to renovate an existing roughly 4,000-square-foot building, add three fuel islands (six fueling stations), and provide vehicle circulation and parking primarily behind the building. "We're proposing 3 fuel pumps, which is 6 fueling stations there, and we're adding additional parking to the east," the project representative said during the hearing.

The plan calls for 18 parking spaces, which staff said meets the code requirement for the proposed use. The applicant requests several waivers linked to the site's small size, including reductions to standard landscape setbacks and an increase in maximum site coverage. Staff noted the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) maximum site coverage is 70 percent; the proposed plan shows 76.3 percent impervious coverage and requests a waiver to accommodate circulation and truck maneuvers.

Staff explained the site will include underground detention for stormwater and that the applicant provided a truck-turning exhibit showing deliveries and fuel truck access. Staff also noted the property borders Founders School district property to the east and that the school building is set back from the parcel by several hundred feet as shown in the staff packet. Dan said the applicant had coordinated a required access review with the state for South Fourth Street, which is a state route, and that the city is awaiting the state response on change-of-use/access.

During public comment, one attendee who gave his name and address described the development as roughly a $1.5 million–$1.7 million investment and said the site sits in a newly created TIF district. No written comments were received before the hearing, City staff member Dan said.

Commission discussion touched on lighting, building access and service doors, truck circulation, hours of operation and environmental safeguards. A commissioner asked about ground contamination and testing; project representatives and staff responded that modern underground fuel tanks are double-lined and subject to state regulations and fire marshal review. The commission also reviewed a photometric lighting plan and a provision for a light pole near the dumpster to illuminate the east parking area.

Commissioner Becker moved the recommendation of approval; Commissioner Wright seconded. The commission approved the recommendation to city council on a 4–1 roll-call vote, with Commissioner O'Flaherty voting no. The motion approved the preliminary and final development plans as shown in the exhibit and included the waiver requests and a requirement that the applicant submit a final plat to combine the two lots before final approvals proceed.

Because final action on rezoning requires city council consideration, the commission's vote is a recommendation. Staff noted outstanding items at the time of the hearing included the formal state review of access along South Fourth Street and the required final plat for lot consolidation, both of which must be completed before site work proceeds.