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Oak Creek developer says growth on FM 973 supports gas station and small retail
Summary
Developer Rachel Shanks told the Manor Planning and Zoning Commission that traffic counts, nearby subdivisions and planned road improvements make a gas station anchor viable on the 4.1-acre Oak Creek commercial pad along FM 973.
Rachel Shanks, the developer of the Oak Creek subdivision, told the Manor Planning and Zoning Commission on May 14 that research and local trip counts indicate demand for another gas station and small retail on a 4.1-acre commercial pad fronting FM 973.
Shanks said TxDOT figures show about 18,000 vehicle trips per day on FM 973 and said Oak Creek’s planned build-out and adjacent subdivisions together amount to roughly 1,600 home sites coming online. “A gas station can handle about 700 to a thousand vehicles a day or about 500 home sites,” she said, and added that the Oak Creek detention will be handled by the subdivision so the commercial pad can accommodate larger retail sites in addition to a fuel use.
The developer said Oak Creek (also referred to in the presentation as “Okra Creek”) will construct a center turn lane and a right-turn lane into the subdivision, which she expects will improve access and likely increase traffic on FM 973 after the improvements. She said Monarch Ranch’s 11 acres and New Haven’s roughly 2.5 acres of commercial land are contiguous with Oak Creek’s pad and that a fuel use could act as an anchor to draw additional tenants to the strip center planned along that corridor.
Commissioners asked whether an H‑E‑B gas station under construction a short distance away was included in her analysis. Shanks said she considered that station but believes it will pull different traffic, and that convenience-oriented stops along drivers’ regular routes often continue to draw customers despite the larger grocery-anchored station. She also said Oak Creek will include conduit for electric vehicle fast chargers so the fueling site could evolve with demand.
No formal application or vote on a permit for the gas station was taken at the May 14 meeting; the presentation was informational and the commission asked questions about traffic, planned road improvements and nearby commercial interest.
Shanks said her overall goal is a cohesive, higher-end architectural standard for the Oak Creek community and the adjacent commercial frontage, and she invited commissioners to ask additional questions as the project proceeds toward any formal permitting step.
