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Lorain zoning board denies variances for proposed gas station at 2217 E. 42nd St.
Summary
The Lorain Zoning Board of Appeals voted Feb. 7 to deny four variances sought to convert a convenience store at 2217 E. 42nd Street into a gas station, citing parking, driveway spacing and safety concerns; the applicant was told to redesign or seek a use variance and may reapply.
The Lorain Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday, Feb. 7 denied a set of variances that would have allowed a gas station to operate at 2217 East 42nd Street.
Agent Carlton Moore told the board the proposal would add fuel dispensers to an existing convenience store and requested four variances: allowing a driveway entrance within 125 feet of the intersection; permitting two driveways on East 42nd Street when the code allows one; locating fuel pumps within 50 feet of a residential district; and reducing the minimum required parking from the code standard (Moore said the site can provide 12 customer spaces plus six fuel-island spaces). “For the record, we're requesting 4 zoning variances to exist in section 1143.07,” Moore said in his presentation.
Board members and staff raised safety and operational concerns during a lengthy deliberation. Staff noted the site's maneuvering aisles and parking did not meet standards, and one member said the city's zoning requirement equates to 30 parking spaces for the combined uses at that location. Members also flagged the proximity to a fast, high-traffic corridor and the lack of a turning lane on Grove Avenue as reasons the proposal could create congestion and crash risks. One board member said, “I just can't justify supporting this,” when discussing public-safety and access issues.
After discussion about whether parcel consolidation or a redesigned site plan could address the problems, the board voted to deny the requested variances. The chair encouraged the applicant to meet with city planning staff, consider consolidating adjacent parcels or redesigning the layout, and to reapply if those changes address the board's concerns.
The board also noted administrative deadlines for resubmission: the next filing window for the March 4 meeting had an application deadline the board cited as Feb. 12 (staff said an application can also be submitted later but the Feb. 12 deadline applied for the March agenda).
