Wylie, Texas — The Wylie City Council on Jan. 14 denied a request to change zoning for a 1.38‑acre site at 1501 South Ballard Avenue that would have allowed a motor‑vehicle fueling station with an attached convenience store.

The matter went to a public hearing after the applicant requested to withdraw the application from the regular review process and community members asked to be heard. More than 20% of the surrounding land area had registered opposition during Planning and Zoning review, and the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended denial 6–0, staff said.

Neighbors cited traffic, safety and noise concerns. Eric Kuehlen, who lives at 904 Travers Drive and whose backyard borders Ballard and Atlantis, said his children frequently play in the nearby park and recalled a vehicle crashing through the corner brick wall near his home. “The safety of my little kids are my top priority,” Kuehlen said during public comment.

Justin Floyd, who said he helped organize neighborhood opposition in an earlier effort, asked council to deny the request “with prejudice” and said residents did not want a gas station adjacent to the subdivision. Another resident noted frequent accidents at the intersection and objected to added light and noise from a fueling operation.

After the hearing Mayor Matthew Porter moved to deny the zoning change and special‑use permit; Councilwoman Gina Maleche seconded. The council voted 7–0 to deny zoning case 2024‑9.

What was before council
- Request: Amend zoning from Neighborhood Services to Neighborhood Services with a Special Use Permit to allow a motor‑vehicle fueling station with convenience store on 1.38 acres at 1501 S. Ballard Ave.
- Staff/P&Z: Planning & Zoning recommended denial (6–0); staff advised the applicant had asked to withdraw and that withdrawal would require full resubmittal to restart the process.

Council action
- Motion: Deny the zoning change and special‑use permit for zoning case 2024‑9.
- Mover: Mayor Matthew Porter.
- Second: Councilwoman Gina Maleche.
- Vote: 7 yes, 0 no. Outcome: denied.

Why it matters
The council’s denial preserves the site’s current zoning and responds to sustained neighborhood opposition and safety concerns raised at the hearing. If the applicant wants to pursue the project it must begin the zoning process anew, including planning review, P&Z and fee resubmittals, staff said.

Provenance
This item was first introduced to council at about 5:08 p.m. when staff presented zoning case 2024‑9 and concluded with the council vote shortly before 6:00 p.m.