Planning panel forwards BJ's member-only fuel center to council after traffic concerns

The Mesquite Planning and Zoning Commission on June 9 voted 5-2 to recommend that City Council approve a rezoning to allow a BJ's Wholesale Club fuel center on a roughly 1-acre parcel at 4444 N. Galloway Avenue.

Planning staff described the request as a planned development commercial district for a BJ's retail fueling station at the Lowe's shopping center intersection of Galloway and Barnes Bridge Road. Garrett Langford said the application would allow fueling only ("not a convenience store"), and the concept plan shows eight fueling stations with pumps on both sides for a total of 16 fueling positions. "The fuel cells will be limited to 16 fueling positions only or no more than 16," Langford said.

BJ's representatives emphasized the fuel center would be for members only. Mark Lavoie, BJ's site development manager, said, "The fuel center is not open to the general public but only to members" and described design features intended to reduce stacking onto the public street, including direct-access pumps and internal stacking capacity.

Nearby residents raised concerns about traffic. Aurea Luthau, who said she lives two blocks away, told the commission, "I do not see the purpose of having another gas station." James Tyler, a resident of 41 years, told commissioners he expected the project to "create more traffic congestion than what's already there." Commissioners repeatedly asked when the traffic-impact analysis would be completed; staff said the analysis is required as part of the site-plan stage and the site plan will not be approved until traffic improvements identified by the analysis are addressed.

Commissioners also asked about access and driveways; staff said the station would use existing Lowe's driveways and that access agreements/easements between the applicant and Lowe's would be verified during site-plan review. The proposed PD would increase minimum landscaping from the city standard of 10% to 20% (the concept shows about 23%). The PD would also prohibit a convenience store and limit heavy-truck refueling.

After public comment and applicant response, the commission voted 5-2 to recommend approval. The application will be scheduled for City Council consideration on Monday, July 7.

Next steps: the applicant must submit a traffic-impact analysis and demonstrate required access easements and engineering approvals during site-plan review before construction can proceed.