Plan commission reviews Family Express site plan, developer promises water-main extension and emergency access

Family Express representatives updated the St John Plan Commission on a revised final plat and site plan for a single-lot gas station and associated car wash at the southwest corner of U.S. 41 and 109th Avenue.

The developer’s representative, identified in the meeting as Mister Huss of the DVG team, said the Jan. 2 resubmittal to the town and its engineer aims to address prior review comments. “We did make the resubmittal that we owed to the town and their engineer, hopefully addressing his comments,” Huss said.

The updated plans show an 8-inch water-main extension along the east boundary of the property to serve future town expansion, Huss said. He also said the site plan now includes supplemental landscaping along the site’s southern boundary and an updated lighting plan to show how light will fall onto adjacent properties.

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed the developer on circulation and neighborhood impacts. The plan’s driveway onto Huron Street had prompted remonstration from nearby residents; town staff and the developer said the fire department insisted the driveway remain for emergency access. Huss said the driveway will be converted to a right-in/right-out configuration intended to preserve emergency access while limiting customer maneuvers that could back traffic onto U.S. 41.

Discussion and outstanding items - Emergency access: Huss said the fire department was “quite happy” that the driveway remains for emergency use and that the updated plan addresses the department’s request for two hydrants on the property. A town staff speaker said they had not received further comments from fire at the meeting. - Landscaping: Commissioner or staff member Ashley Abernathy requested more screening than was added; Huss said a retaining wall and existing trees on adjacent lots limit where additional plantings can successfully be placed. - Water use for car wash: A Plan Commission member asked how much water the proposed car wash would use. Huss said he could not provide a technical answer at the meeting and offered to obtain details from a colleague named Pete for the next session: “I would be certainly happy to talk to Pete and have that information for you a week from now.” - Permits: Huss said the team must submit for an “in dock permit” and that they have applied and are in contact with the permitting authority.

Next steps: The resubmittal is under review by the town engineer and staff; commissioners said the matter will return for further review, potentially at the next meeting if outstanding comments are resolved.

Provenance (transcript excerpts): The item was introduced by the chair as agenda item 4(a) (2024-27 Family Express) and discussed in the Jan. 8 study session. Key remarks by the applicant representative and staff appear in the transcript between the agenda introduction and the conclusion of the Family Express discussion.