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Commission approves driveway-width variance for North Texas Avenue fuel-station redevelopment
Summary
The Bryan Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Dec. 4 a variance allowing two 35-foot driveways for a proposed motor-fuel retail redevelopment at North Texas Avenue and Woodville Road, with staff saying TxDOT approved driveway placement though a deceleration lane was not feasible; commissioners debated safety and precedent.
The Bryan Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a variance Dec. 4 to allow two 35-foot driveways (a 20-foot variance from the cumulative-width standard) for a proposed redevelopment of an existing motor-fuel retail station at North Texas Avenue and Woodville Road.
Benjamin Johnson, project planner, said the request seeks relief from the access-standards section of the Bryan Land and Site Development Ordinance to permit two 35-foot driveways rather than meeting the ordinance's 25–50 foot cumulative width range. Johnson told commissioners the wider driveway widths would accommodate large fuel trucks and improve safe ingress and egress for the redeveloped site, and staff recommended approval. He also said the applicant's site plan has been through multiple rounds of review and that 28 public notices were sent with no responses.
Commissioners pressed staff about safety, whether a traffic or road study had been done and whether allowing the variance would set a precedent for convenience stores citywide. Johnson said he was not aware of a specific traffic study for this request but that TxDOT had reviewed and approved the driveway location and indicated a deceleration lane would not be constructible at that location. Commissioners discussed how the corner-lot geometry, posted speeds (commissioners said 60–70 mph on North Texas Avenue), and the site's proximity to Woodville Road affect turning movements and safety trade-offs.
One commissioner noted redeveloping the site would consolidate multiple curb cuts and could provide a safer, more orderly access pattern versus multiple ad hoc openings. Other commissioners expressed concern that two wide openings close to a major collector might increase conflict points without a deceleration lane. Staff said the variance is a first step; the conditional use permit (CUP) for motor-fuel retail will return for further review and final approvals.
After discussion, the commission moved and seconded a motion to approve Planning Variance PV 25-21 and to adopt the written staff report as the commission's findings; the motion passed unanimously. The redevelopment will still require final site-plan review and a CUP. Johnson reiterated that the project has been reviewed in multiple site-review rounds and emphasized coordination with TxDOT and the city's engineering review.
