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Commission continues hearing on proposed Walmart fuel station after applicant offers changes and commissioners press for safeguards
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Summary
Applicant for a proposed Walmart fuel station at 677 Tiffany Boulevard described layout revisions, dual‑walled tanks with monitoring, and a Jellyfish treatment unit; commissioners pressed for details on spill containment, snow storage and third‑party inspections and continued the hearing to Feb. 23 for additional materials.
Representatives for the proposed Walmart fuel station at 677 Tiffany Boulevard presented revised site plans and answered questions from the Gardner City Conservation Commission on project operations, stormwater treatment and buffer impacts.
Applicant representative Connor told the commission the team obtained a special permit from the ZBA since the project’s last appearance and provided third‑party monthly maintenance logs from the company that services Walmart sites. He described the Jellyfish filter O&M: cartridges are removed, hosed into a 50‑gallon drum or containment system, sediment is removed with a VAC truck and used fluids are disposed of according to regulatory guidance. Connor said the underground fuel tanks are dual‑walled and include monitoring features that alert store personnel and Walmart’s network when pressure or fluid elevations change.
Connor said the design team shifted the building to reduce impacts to the 60‑foot buffer, rerouted a sidewalk, and moved the trash enclosure and tanks to gain approximately 530–550 square feet of green space. He asked whether a variance would still be required for the 60‑foot buffer because footing or foundation work might intrude into the buffer zone; commissioners noted that digging for footings could still trigger variance needs.
Commissioners pressed the applicant for specifics on spill scenarios from tanker deliveries into the permanent tanks. The applicant described pretreatment (oil/water separators and hooded deep‑sump catch basins) and the treatment train culminating in the Jellyfish unit but did not provide a confirmed maximum containment volume for a full tanker rupture. During the exchange an interlocutor referenced a 9,000‑gallon figure but the applicant did not confirm that the site could contain a full‑tanker spill on site and agreed to explore emergency shutoff valves and additional controls to limit off‑site discharge.
Other concerns raised by commissioners included where snow would be stored (applicant proposed on‑site locations outside 30‑ and 60‑foot buffers or hauling off‑site), contractor responsibility for Jellyfish maintenance (trained or certified contractor), and a request that an order of condition forbid snow storage inside buffers. Commissioners also asked the applicant to propose a schedule for third‑party inspections during construction focused on erosion control installation, foundation work and Jellyfish installation; Connor agreed to provide a proposed inspection schedule and a stamped plan set before the next meeting.
The commission voted to continue the hearing to February 23 so members could review stamped plans and additional mitigation details; the motion passed by voice vote. The commission did not vote on merits or issue conditions at this meeting.
