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Council denies 7‑Eleven, gas station and car‑wash permit after Wellness Way residents rise in opposition
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing, the council denied a conditional‑use permit for a 7‑Eleven, gas station and car wash in the Wellness Way neighborhood. Staff and the planning commission recommended denial based on design standards, neighborhood compatibility, and walkability goals; residents cited safety, noise, light, groundwater and property‑value concerns.
City of Claremont — The City Council on March 24 denied a developer’s request to allow a 7‑Eleven convenience store, gas station and car wash within the Wellness Way neighborhood center, citing incompatibility with adopted Wellness Way design standards and resident safety concerns.
John Cruz, Development Services director, explained that the parcel is governed by the Wellness Ridge PUD and neighborhood‑center rules that prioritize walkable, low‑intensity retail. Staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission (5–0) recommended denial because the proposed auto‑dependent uses and car wash conflict with the neighborhood‑center design standards.
The applicant, Trey Vic of V3 Capital Group, described design changes — a larger landscape buffer, moving the car wash and reorienting access — and said the site would be buffered from residences. Dozens of neighbors testified in a packed public hearing. Comments focused on public‑safety concerns (tanker trucks and additional traffic), possible groundwater and air emissions from fuel tanks, headlights and late‑night noise, and loss of walkability and wellness amenities residents had been promised.
Resident Matthews Morgan told the council that gas‑station risks include fire, spills and long‑term contamination, and urged denial. Several neighbors showed backyard photos and described direct proximity.
Council members cited staff and P&Z findings and disallowed the conditional use. One councillor summarized the issue as compatibility with the PUD and plan: “Why have standards if we’re not going to follow standards?” The council moved to deny Resolution 2025‑037R; the denial passed on the record (denial carried by council vote).
What happens next: The applicant may revise the concept to better match the neighborhood‑center standards or pursue a different location; the council emphasized that the decision was grounded in adopted PUD and design rules and in the unanimous P&Z recommendation.
Sources: Staff presentation by John Cruz, applicant comments by Trey Vic, resident testimony and council deliberations; City of Claremont meeting minutes, March 24, 2025.
