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Lakewood approves Kwik Trip special‑use permit at Colfax and Pierce after debate over comp‑plan fit
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Summary
The Planning Commission approved a special use permit (SU22‑0002) for a Kwik Trip fuel station and convenience store at 6851 W. Colfax Ave., 5–1, after debate about whether a fueling station is the best use in a designated growth area and discussion of floodplain, art‑line and public‑safety measures.
The Lakewood Planning Commission voted 5–1 on Nov. 19 to approve a special‑use permit that would allow Kwik Trip to develop a fueling station and convenience store at 6851 West Colfax Avenue (case SU22‑0002). Commissioner Williams moved approval; Commissioner Buckley cast the sole dissenting vote.
Shelby Madrid, a civil engineer with Kimley‑Horn, and Jessica Glovis, Kwik Trip real‑estate project manager, presented site renderings, a community‑oriented design that includes plaza seating, a proposed container studio, a meandering pedestrian art walk intended to tie into the adjacent 40 West Arts District, and Level 3 electric‑vehicle chargers. The applicant said the site is 1.92 acres and that the fuel canopy and tanks will meet applicable safety and flood‑plain requirements; the team submitted a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR) and described anchored, double‑walled underground tanks and on‑site stormwater treatment.
"This fuel station will be wholly unlike any other fuel station and convenience store anywhere," Carolyn White, land‑use counsel for the applicant, told the commission, noting architectural treatments, landscaping and proposed public‑realm features designed to fit the Colfax corridor and the arts framework plan.
City staff (Kara Mueller, Development Assistance Division) recommended approval after reviewing the special‑use criteria that applied at the time the application was filed in February 2022. Staff found the proposal meets Article 4 supplemental standards (canopy, spacing from other fuel stations, architectural standards), Article 5 dimensional requirements and applicable site standards and noted the applicant had conducted neighborhood meetings and sent required notice to referral agencies.
Commissioners questioned several elements during deliberations. Chair (name not given in the transcript) and others pressed the applicant to explain how a single, large convenience store and fueling station would comport with the comprehensive‑plan goal to foster diverse, higher‑density uses in the Colfax/West Veil Line growth area, particularly because four small businesses had been on the site when the application was filed in 2022. Kwik Trip representatives said the prior uses were small operations that had planned to vacate when the property was under contract and that the company typically employs roughly 22 people per store; the applicant also pledged to remediate dry‑cleaner contamination on the property.
Commissioners also probed flood‑plain issues and public safety for the proposed art walk. The applicant said parts of the site lie in the 100‑year floodplain but argued the CLOMR and site design, including anchored chambers and flood‑proofing for dispensers up to several feet, allow safe development. The applicant confirmed bike parking and vehicle‑rated bollards will be included, and said the store and surrounding property would be monitored 24/7 by private security.
Supporters on the commission said the project would activate a neglected stretch of Colfax, provide jobs and infrastructure upgrades, and could catalyze further investment along the corridor. The chair said he would vote no because he was not convinced the proposal matched the "highest and best" vision for the growth area. After debate, the motion to approve carried 5–1.
The approval allows the applicant to proceed to a major site‑plan submittal and design review; staff reminded the commission that the SUP is valid for two years to secure an approved major site plan and that the CLOMR must be in place before site plan approval. The commission also noted required referrals to utility agencies and West Metro Fire would continue during the next steps.
