Palmdale planning commission recommends approval for Maverick convenience store and fueling station on Avenue S

The Palmdale City Planning Commission on an item heard at its meeting recommended City Council approval of General Plan Amendment 23-0002, Zone Change 24-0003, Conditional Use Permit 24-0001 and Site Plan Review 24-0005 to allow construction of a 24-hour Maverick convenience store and fueling station on Avenue S about 400 feet west of State Route 14; the motion passed 5-0.

The project would re-designate the site from Neighborhood Commercial to Regional Commercial, allow private sewage disposal for certain nonresidential uses within the project boundary by amending a general plan policy (PSFI 3), and authorize a fueling station and convenience store that staff said will not sell alcohol or tobacco in that zoning. Planning Manager Bridal Magana told the commission staff recommends adoption of Resolution PC2025-003 and a mitigated negative declaration and mitigation monitoring and reporting program prepared for the project.

The project is presented as a candidate to bring services and infrastructure to an area the city says has lacked development because the nearest sewer connection is roughly a half-mile away. Applicant representatives and staff said the project includes a near-mile extension of water main, street improvements along the project frontage with two access points, a warranted traffic signal at the first driveway, an oversized stormwater basin and design review by the Palmdale City Engineer and the L.A. County Fire Department. The applicant said the store will operate 24 hours and have about three to five employees per eight-hour shift; security cameras will be installed and access will be shared with the Palmdale Sheriff Station.

Local business owners who spoke during the public hearing raised site-specific concerns. Tom (last name not specified), who said he runs a long‑haul shuttle and charter business across the street, told commissioners he has documented flooding and submitted a hydrology study and photographs to staff. “That intersection where we’re nose to nose coming out at each other, there has to be some sort of a street light or some sort of change there,” he said, and urged that turn lanes and larger curb radii be designed for 45‑foot coaches and semi‑trucks. Carla Miller of Airport Express said she and others had difficulty obtaining water meters in the area and asked why the Maverick project would be allowed on septic when earlier projects were not: “We’re wondering how they were able to get on septic there,” she said, adding that flooding on Avenue S had previously affected her parking lot.

An applicant representative described Maverick as a family‑owned chain founded in Afton, Wyoming, operating more than 800 stores in 20 states and offering prepared food items. The applicant said alcohol would not be sold at this site because the zone prohibits it; staff explained that a conditional use permit would be the mechanism for alcohol sales where allowed but distance requirements would likely preclude a second beer/wine seller so close to an existing outlet. The applicant also told the commission the project team will extend “about a mile” of 16‑inch water main to serve the site and to create a network that future properties can tie into, and that the oversized on‑site stormwater basin will discharge at a lower rate than current runoff.

Planning staff clarified that the general plan and zoning changes adopted in the Palmdale 2045 update and the subsequent zoning ordinance update created the framework that allows a private sewage option in this part of the city; staff also said the project will pay an in‑lieu fee and must connect to a sewer system when a connection becomes available. Commissioner questions focused on septic policy changes, whether the new rules apply to county properties south of Avenue S, and on traffic signal spacing and street width. The applicant’s engineer was present to answer technical questions but commissioners did not ask additional engineering questions during deliberations.

Commissioner Luhan moved to approve the staff recommendation; Commissioner Olivares seconded. The motion passed with five yes votes. After the vote an applicant representative said the team expected to break ground soon and predicted the station could be open by the end of the year: “I’ll break the ground,” he said; “by Christmas, we’ll have a gas station there,” he added.

If City Council follows the Planning Commission recommendation, the project will be subject to the conditions in the mitigated negative declaration and the city’s mitigation monitoring and reporting program, and the applicant will be required to connect to sewer service when feasible.