Council approves Murphy's USA redevelopment at Forest Hill Boulevard after generator and buffering assurances

The Greenacres City Council on May 19 approved a special exception and the site-and-development plan to redevelop 6270 Forest Hill Boulevard into a 2,824-square-foot Murphy's USA convenience store with 12 fueling positions, voting 3-2 on each measure.

The council's vote followed a quasi-judicial hearing in which staff and the applicant detailed site layout, landscaping, lighting and operating hours, and in which council members pressed the applicant about emergency power and neighborhood impacts. The council's decision was narrowly split, with Council Member Noble, Council Member Dugo and Mayor Shaw voting in favor; Council Members Tharpe and Diaz opposed.

Staff said the parcel, about 1.17 acres, would retain existing access points to Forest Hill Boulevard and the adjacent Walmart drive, include a required 8-foot buffer wall along the residential boundary, and exceed the city's landscaping requirements. The proposal reduced initially requested 24/7 hours to operate from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily following public concern.

Johnny Galli, assistant director of the Development and Neighborhood Services (DNS), told the council the site plan complied with applicable findings in the staff report, that the city's traffic…