Board previews conditional rezoning for convenience store and gas station at Cottle Creek and Harris Crossing; neighbors concerned about hours and impacts

Planning staff briefed the board on CZ2508, a conditional rezoning for 4.88 acres at the intersection of Cottle Creek and Harris Crossing to enable a convenience store with fueling stations and a drive‑through restaurant.

Staff identified the applicant as Genmark LLC and the landowner as Iredell Avenue Residential Development LLC. "They're conditionally zoned as corridor mixed UCM, and they are requesting ... a convenience store gas station and drive thru restaurant," planning staff said. Staff noted two neighborhood meetings where residents expressed concerns about noise, light, safety and potential fuel leaks.

The planning board had recommended denial on 05/27/2025, which staff reported to the board. Commissioners discussed mitigation measures including landscape buffers and time‑of‑operation limits. One commissioner said hours of operation could be restricted as part of the conditional use: "Those hours hours can be whatever you decide for them to be because it is a conditional use," a member of the board said, and staff confirmed a 30‑foot landscape buffer on the south and a 50‑foot buffer to the east are included on the plan.

Commissioners also noted the site’s proximity to single‑family neighborhoods and a neighborhood Walmart and asked staff to prepare conditions addressing noise, lighting and hours for the upcoming public hearing. No final action was taken at the pre‑agenda; the item remains scheduled for public hearing at the regular meeting.