Developers pitch gas station, convenience store and car wash on South River Road; board raises traffic, noise and PFAS concerns

A developer team representing South River Road Ventures presented a concept on Oct. 6 for a mixed commercial development at the corner of South River Road and Technology Drive that would include a 6,000‑square‑foot convenience store with up to 12 pumps and a proposed 4,400‑square‑foot car wash with queuing for approximately 31 vehicles and an exterior vacuum bank.

Elias Petuchas (South River Road Ventures) and Ting Chen (TF Moran) described the plan and said they were coordinating driveway permit work with New Hampshire DOT; the applicant showed a layout that reserves roughly 40% lot coverage and extensive perimeter landscaping. Petuchas said the convenience‑store tenant (Yatco Energy) is committed and the team had begun DOT discussions for two curb cuts and potential right‑in/right‑out treatments.

Traffic and DOT coordination: the board discussed how the proposed site integrates with DOT’s corridor concept for South River Road (which includes medians and a roundabout at Technology Drive). The applicant said they had accounted for the DOT project in the site layout and that the DOT plan includes construction‑phase easements along the property frontage; the team said they would pursue permit work with DOT and continue to coordinate design so interim access would function while the state’s long‑range project proceeds.

Water, recycling and noise: the board asked pointed questions about water handling for the car wash and about vacuum bank noise and proposed operating hours. Applicant representatives said car‑wash operators typically recycle wash water through on‑site treatment and that they would perform the required engineering studies; they also noted that the vacuum bank counts are a prototype and could be reduced if mitigation is needed. One board member suggested requiring a noise study and the applicant agreed to prepare mitigation if necessary. The board also suggested a condition discouraging use of PFAS‑containing compounds at the car wash.

Signage and operations: board members asked for more detail on sign locations and requested that the applicant keep signage as close to ordinance standards as possible to streamline review. The applicant indicated typical hours would align with local business patterns (examples at other local operations are roughly 7 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays) and said hours would be coordinated with staff and potential operators.

Next steps: the team said they will continue DOT coordination, conduct noise and water‑management studies as needed and return with a formal application once curb‑cut and tenant details are confirmed. The board offered preliminary support for the overall layout while asking staff to ensure PFAS restrictions, stormwater controls and clear signage plans accompany any formal submission.