Planning commission approves Sheetz site plan for north Westminster after public comment
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Summary
The commission approved final site plan S‑21‑4 for a Sheetz convenience store and fueling station outside Westminster city limits; the county will hold bonds and manage approvals until annexation occurs during early construction. The vote was 5 yeas, 1 abstain after public comment split between traffic concerns and city support.
County staff presented the final site plan for a proposed Sheetz convenience store and fueling station on the northwest side of Westminster. Kirsten of the Bureau of Development Review reviewed the project layout, access points, required Sullivan Road widening, traffic mitigations and off‑site forest banking. She noted the project has been before the commission multiple times and that the State Highway Administration approved the traffic impact study and its mitigations.
John Maguire (attorney for Sheetz) and project manager Gary Kilfeather answered questions. The plan shows a roughly 5,000‑square‑foot convenience store, five fueling positions with canopy, access points on Sullivan Road and 140, proposed road widening to add turning lanes, and new sidewalk connections. The site will be annexed into the City of Westminster under an existing annexation agreement after significant construction begins; the county will retain bonding and oversee the permit/bond release process until annexation is completed.
Public comment was split. Scott Fisher, a long‑time resident at 19 Hawn Road, opposed the project citing traffic congestion, property‑value concerns and proximity to existing gas stations. "It is a just a congested area and this would totally ... inconvenience everybody," Fisher said. Westminster Councilmember Dan Huff spoke in favor of redevelopment, saying consolidation of three failing commercial parcels into a single redeveloped site will improve conditions and that the traffic study’s mitigations produce measurable improvements.
Commissioner (speaker 4) moved to approve S‑21‑4 subject to the eight conditions in the staff report; the motion passed on roll call 5 yays, 1 abstain. Staff said bonds and public‑works agreements with the city will be in place so that the city will not sign off on building permits until public‑works commitments are secured.
Why it matters: the plan replaces several underused commercial parcels with a consolidated retail/fueling property and requires coordination between county and city permitting, traffic mitigation on a state highway corridor, and community outreach to neighbors.
Next steps: conditions in the staff report must be met during final construction review; county will hold bonds and coordinate the annexation and public‑works agreement with the city.
