Garland council denies Murphy USA request for gas pumps at former Centerville Road restaurant

The Garland City Council voted 6-3 on Sept. 16 to deny a specific-use permit (SUP) for a Murphy USA convenience store with six fuel pumps at 730 West Centerville Road in District 4.

Planning staff told the council the 0.689-acre site — the former Boston Market location — is zoned as a planned development with a Community Retail (CR) base and that a gas-station use requires an SUP. "The proposed gas station or fuel pumps retail use does not meet the intent of the comprehensive plan as it is a transient use in nature and does not provide for, service or a community gathering option," said Nabilender, director of planning and development.

The applicant proposed a 2,800-square-foot convenience store, a canopy with six fuel pumps and two access points. Jeff Tucker, real estate manager for Murphy USA, described the company as a value-oriented, corporately owned retailer and said the store would "capture the traffic that is already there." Keaton Mai of the Dimension Group, the project's civil engineer, said the applicant submitted a traffic analysis accepted by the city and that the plan would close one existing access point and retain two others.

Council members and staff noted several factors weighing against the SUP. Staff said there are six existing gas stations within one mile of the site and that the city's comprehensive-plan land-use designation for the parcel is "neighborhood centers," which envisions retail that functions as a community gathering place rather than transient services such as gas stations. The plan commission recommended denial by an 8-0 vote. Notification to 125 addresses produced 10 responses: three in favor and six within the notification area opposed; one response against came from outside the area.

Environmental and long-term reuse concerns were raised during discussion. "What happens to land when you put gas tanks in the ground? Ultimately, things leak," said Mayor Pro Tem Blunt, asking about remediation and long-term contamination risks. Tucker said Murphy USA performs monitoring, uses double-walled tanks and, if required, would undertake phase 2 environmental testing and remediation.

Councilmember Williams moved to deny the SUP; the motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Blucht. The motion to deny passed 6-3, with Mayor Dylan Hendrick, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ott and Councilmember Thomas recorded in opposition to the denial.

The denial leaves the site available for other commercial redevelopment consistent with the comprehensive plan's neighborhood-center vision. Planning staff noted the site's lot size and existing access would limit the scale of alternate uses on the parcel without additional property consolidation or changes to parking and layout requirements.

Further procedural steps tied to the SUP — such as any appeal rights by the applicant or future re-submittals with revised concepts — were not announced at the meeting.