Planning commission approves Wawa pattern book for Anderson Highway site

The Powhatan County Planning Commission on April 7 approved a pattern‑book design for a proposed Wawa convenience store at 1901 Anderson Highway, voting 5‑0 to accept staff’s recommended Option 1.

Planner Charity Gold told the commission the project sits on a 5‑acre Commerce Center lot in District 2 and would include an approximately 6,000‑square‑foot convenience store with a pickup window on the east side, eight fueling stations, a lowered canopy that meets county height rules and landscaping to screen an infrequently used loading zone. Staff recommended Option 1 for the prominent corner feature because it concentrates the secondary material at the corner, creating a clearer tower effect.

Commissioners asked for clarification of a small stub visible on plan sheets; staff said it appears to be a stormwater/drainage element and that the applicant’s design team would confirm whether a sidewalk or only drainage stone is intended. Public commenter Carl Schwenderman had earlier asked the commission to require a full 5‑foot sidewalk or a 10‑foot asphalt trail along Route 60 to align with the county’s trails master plan, an item staff said could be clarified with the applicant.

After discussion about aesthetics and the corner treatment, a motion "In accordance with public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice, I move the planning commission approve the Wawa convenience store pattern book presented as Option 1" was made and seconded. A roll call recorded affirmative votes from Commissioners Hall, Bowen, Wynol, Hughes and Hatcher, producing a 5‑0 approval.

The commission’s approval pertains to the pattern‑book design; the applicant must provide final plan details including confirmed sidewalk, drainage, and landscaping specifications and any required permits before construction begins. The commission set no additional conditions on the motion at the time of the vote.