Board approves Dunkin' Donuts rezoning and a small‑scale comp plan amendment for convenience store with fuel pumps

The Clay County Board of County Commissioners voted March 24 to approve two commercial rezonings: a neighborhood business rezoning to allow a drive‑through Dunkin' Donuts at 5408 County Road 218, and a small‑scale comprehensive plan amendment and PCD rezoning to permit a convenience store with fuel pumps and a drive‑through restaurant at the intersection of Highway 220 and Plantation Drive.

Janice Fleet, agent for the Dunkin' application, told the board the project replaces an existing Dunkin' at a nearby BP station and "will meet all the Clay Hill overlay standards"; she said planning staff and the citizen advisory committee recommended approval and the applicant had addressed buffer and driveway alignment concerns. Commissioners voted to approve the rezoning after no public opposition at the hearing.

Chief planner Dodi Selig presented the comp plan amendment and rezoning for the Oakleaf/Oak Ridge area and explained the Planning Commission conditioned approval to limit permitted uses to the intended convenience store, fuel pumps and drive‑through restaurant, removing a longer list of retail uses that had been on the original PCD language. Selig said staff found the comprehensive plan criteria were met and recommended approval. Commissioners approved both the comp plan amendment and the rezoning.

Both items had been vetted by the citizen advisory committees and the planning commission, and speakers at the hearings emphasized the applications' compatibility with the surrounding commercial corridor and the need for site‑plan protection for sensitive features such as retention ponds. The approvals were unanimous.

What happens next: Applicants will proceed to site‑plan review and permitting under the conditions approved by the board and staff. Any future modifications to permitted uses would require further action.