Planning commission recommends rezoning and special-use permit for Sheetz on Route 17, forwards to Board with conditions

York County staff and the applicant told the Planning Commission on Dec. 17 that a proposed Sheetz convenience store and fueling station near the Route 17/Fort Eustis Boulevard intersection is consistent with the county comprehensive plan and includes proffers to mitigate watershed impacts, but the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has not yet approved proposed access changes.

Staff explained the application would reclassify approximately 1.82 acres taken from four adjacent parcels and authorize a special-use permit for an automobile fuel dispensing establishment and convenience store (resolutions PC 25-28 and PC 25-27). The site lies partially within the Harwoods Mill Reservoir Watershed Management and Protection overlay. The applicant proffered environmental design features including double-wall underground storage tanks with continuous monitoring and an annual inspection program, and committed $43,000 toward increased water-quality management. Newport News Water Works provided written comments supporting the project’s proffers to protect the reservoir.

The applicant’s attorney, Tim Tran, said the project is intended to complement an adjacent grocery-anchored development and offer a new full-service convenience option for commuters. He and the applicant’s engineers said they expect signalization or an alternative intersection treatment to be coordinated with VDOT as the access design advances. "We feel like we've achieved that design commitment that would achieve a comparable or superior protection than just the conventional buffer," Tran told the commission when describing proffered environmental design and monitoring.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about traffic operations, whether the site would permit commercial vehicle fueling (applicant: not intended for commercial truck fueling), EV charging on initial plans (not included in the current submission), backup power (applicant: portable temporary genset strategy used at some Sheetz locations), and construction timing (applicant estimated permit approval process and potential construction in late 2026–early 2027 if Board approval follows).

After questions and a public comment from a nearby resident opposing the use at that location, the commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning (PC 25-28) and to forward the special-use permit (PC 25-27) to the Board of Supervisors with conditions and the stated proffers. Roll-call votes were recorded; the rezoning and the special-use permit recommendations passed by recorded vote (one commissioner voted no on each recommendation). The staff record and proffers will be part of the Board of Supervisors' review, and VDOT issues will be resolved during site-plan and access-permit review.

Next steps: The Board of Supervisors will consider the rezoning and special-use permit; staff will coordinate outstanding technical reviews with VDOT and finalize proffer language before final action.