Oakland commission approves concept design for Turnpike Commerce Park amid truck‑access and parking questions

The Town of Oakland commission approved the concept design review for the Turnpike Commerce Park on April 28, clearing the way for a proposed four‑building industrial flex space project at 1360 West Colonial Drive.

Town planner Taylor Hague of Wade Trim presented the concept plan, describing the 13.8‑acre site, prior approvals for a self‑storage project and a new proposal for four single‑story ‘‘shallow bay’’ buildings totaling about 160,160 square feet. Hague told the commission the project requests variances including landscape buffer modifications, a parking reduction and larger building floor plates, and recommended approval with conditions and final engineering review.

Drew Thigpen of Greenberg Gibbons Properties, the developer, said the privately financed project would represent a $34,000,000 investment and estimated it could generate roughly $800,000 a year in new tax revenue. Thigpen defended a proposed 216‑space parking plan, noting the International Traffic Engineers standard for this product type recommended about 162 spaces and saying 216 is 33% above that benchmark. “We’ve never had anything close to parking challenges in our portfolio projects,” Thigpen said.

Commissioners raised concerns about three technical areas: the perceived visual mass when buildings exceed the 32,000 square‑foot limit to 40,040 square feet; the width and turning radius of the north‑south entrance road for large trucks; and whether utility and right‑of‑way dedications were sufficient for future connections.

“I think we need to make sure that there’s going to be plenty of room for trucks coming in and out and turning,” a member of the commission said, urging careful review of the entry road. Civil engineer Reagan O’Laughman of Kimberly Horn and Associates described a proposed 50‑foot dedication for the roadway, plans for a water main stub and a lift station to be dedicated to the town to allow future east‑west connections. O’Laughman said the project will include a force main across State Road 50 to connect to the town’s existing system.

Mayor Shane Taylor and staff noted that final engineering review and any required county approvals (for traffic, solid waste and fire safety) are prerequisites to construction and will address turn radiuses and other technical details. Hague said the design review serves as a concept approval and that the developer must complete final engineering before construction begins.

A motion to accept the design review passed on a voice vote. The commission recorded the motion and a second and responded ‘‘Aye’’ without a roll‑call tally; staff said all technical conditions will be incorporated into the developer agreement and the final engineering review.