York County approves Sheetz at Yorktown Crescent, conditions set on VDOT signal and sewer tie

The York County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Jan. 20 to approve rezoning and a special‑use permit that clears the way for a Sheetz convenience store and fueling station on an outparcel of the Yorktown Crescent development, but only after the developer meets traffic and utility conditions requested by the county and VDOT.

Planning staff described the application as a request from Redstone Properties LLC to reclassify about 1.82 acres, consolidate proffers and authorize a Sheetz convenience store (approximately 6,132 square feet) with fueling facilities and underground tanks. The property sits near the Route 17–Fort Eustis Boulevard node and partially within the Harwoods Mill Reservoir watershed‑management overlay; staff said the applicant proposed proffered environmental protections and that Newport News Waterworks provided written concurrence with submitted plans.

The board’s action followed extended discussion about traffic and access. VDOT reviewed the developer’s signal justification and access‑management study and raised multiple technical comments and alternatives — including a continuous‑green‑T treatment and a restricted‑crossing U‑turn — that staff and the applicant have since been negotiating with the agency. Planning traffic consultant Karen McPherson told the board the comment list had been pared from 19 items to about three and that staff remained in frequent contact with VDOT.

Tim Tran, the applicant’s attorney, and John Schwartz of Redstone said the project’s traffic study used conservative assumptions (no internal capture and no pass‑by discounts) so mitigation would be robust. "We proffered that we would do a signal subject to VDOT’s approval," Tran said, adding the team would not proceed to develop the store unless VDOT approved the intersection design. John Schwartz told the board, "We wouldn't start construction; there would be no permit issued unless the traffic signal was approved."

To address supervisors’ concerns, the board and applicant negotiated changes to the special‑use permit and associated resolution. The amended language requires Virginia Department of Transportation approval of a signalized intersection (whether conventional or alternative signal form) before site‑plan approval. The board also required that sewer service be extended to the rear of the Sheetz site and the store be connected to that system before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Finally, the resolution includes a special‑use‑permit condition that the site will not offer high‑flow diesel for commercial trucks.

Supervisor Knoll moved the ordinance to rezone the parcel; the roll‑call vote on proposed Ordinance 26‑1 was unanimous (Knoll, Drury, Roan, Shepherd, Holroyd — yes). Supervisor Drury moved the amended resolution R26‑5R to grant the SUP with the negotiated conditions; that motion also passed on a unanimous roll call. The board directed staff to incorporate the final proffer and SUP language into the formal documents.

With the conditions in place, the project proponents said they expect to continue technical work with VDOT and aim to proceed to coordinated construction with the adjacent Publix site once signal justification and site‑plan details are resolved. The county’s planning staff will verify the VDOT approvals and the sewer connection as part of the site‑plan and certificate‑of‑occupancy process.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 26‑1 (rezoning): adopted, roll call 5–0; Resolution R26‑5R (SUP and conditions): adopted, roll call 5–0.

What’s next: the developer must secure VDOT’s signal justification/access approvals as required in SUP conditions and complete sewer main extension and connection before the Sheetz may receive a certificate of occupancy.