Gardner ZBA approves Walmart outlot fuel station special permit at 677 Tiffany Boulevard

At its Dec. 8 meeting, the Gardner Zoning Board of Appeals approved case 2025‑12‑02, a special‑permit application submitted by Walmart Real Estate Business Trust for a fuel station and 1,618‑square‑foot convenience store on an outlot at 677 Tiffany Boulevard. Connor Ennis, civil engineer for the applicant, presented the site plan and said the proposal includes an approximately 4,800‑square‑foot canopy, eight multiproduct dispensers (16 fueling positions), and three underground storage tanks (two 20,000‑gallon tanks and one 10,000‑gallon tank).

Ennis said the outlot sits within the Commercial‑2 district and that the design keeps fuel access internal to the Walmart lot with two access drives linking to the existing Walmart circulation. He described a new stormwater system intended to treat runoff before discharge to adjacent wetlands, reduce peak rates and volumes, and noted ongoing review by the conservation commission. Ennis also explained pedestrian connections with existing sidewalks and bollard protection around the convenience‑store entrance.

Board members asked about snow storage and potential queuing at pumps; Ennis said snow could be stored in landscaped areas or hauled off‑site and that the site would continue to meet the city’s minimum parking requirement as presented. Several members said that traffic and site circulation details are part of the planning‑board/site‑plan review rather than the ZBA’s special‑permit determination. After discussion, a motion to approve the special permit was made and passed; the chair announced the motion carried.