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Forest Park planners hear proposal for gas station on Jonesboro Road; decision tabled to August
Summary
The Planning Commission heard a variance request to build a gas station with an attached restaurant at 3953 Jonesboro Road but deferred a decision to the August meeting while ownership matters are resolved.
The Forest Park Planning Commission held a public hearing July 17 on a variance request to allow construction of a gasoline service station with an attached restaurant at 3953 Jonesboro Road, but members tabled a decision until their next meeting in August.
Planning and Community Development Director Nicole Dozier presented the application, VAR-2025-10, saying the applicant seeks an increase in maximum lot coverage from the required 70% to 76% and a reduction in required parking from 58 spaces to 29 to permit the development. Dozier said the property is vacant, comprises about 1.33 acres (approximately 0.99 acres of development area) and has roughly 300 feet of frontage along Jonesboro Road in Ward 1.
Dozier said staff found the variance requests were intended to address physical constraints on the site and recommended approval with conditions, if the commission chose to act. The recommended conditions included adherence to the submitted site plan, enhanced landscaping and buffering, a shared parking management plan, review of architectural elevations and building materials, shielded lighting to prevent glare, a restriction limiting the use to a gas station with attached restaurant or similar commercial tenant, Urban Design Review Board approval before permits issue, and compliance with applicable local, state and federal regulations.
Engineer Robert King, identifying himself as the engineer of record, said the site is on the north side of the city on Jonesboro Road near the McDonald’s and Home Depot area and that the applicant is working through ownership issues. Applicant representative Firoz Liliwala said the attached restaurant would likely be a small franchise or quick-service concept.
Because staff and the applicant were still resolving ownership matters, the commission did not vote on the variance and instead moved to table the item until the August meeting so those issues can be settled and the full packet be reviewed for a decision.
The applicant was allowed to present materials and answer technical questions; no final action was taken on VAR-2025-10.
The commission is scheduled to revisit the application at its August meeting.
