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Planning board approves Racetrac site plan with turn‑lane upgrades to address peak‑hour traffic
Summary
Lake City’s Planning and Zoning Board approved a site plan April 14 for a Racetrac fueling site on two parcels (02498‑003, 02498‑000) after staff and the applicant described DOT/County reviews, planned turn lanes and a traffic study that included AM and PM school‑period counts.
The Planning and Zoning Board approved a site plan April 14 for a Racetrac automotive self‑service center sited on parcels 02498‑003 and 02498‑000 near Highway 90 and County Road 252B.
City staff presented the application and recommended consistency with the land development regulations and comprehensive plan, noting the existing bank on the parcel will be demolished and a new fueling canopy with several pumps—including high‑flow diesel pumps—will be built. Staff said the project will require a new environmental resource permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District, a Columbia County driveway permit (already issued as noted in the record) and FDOT approval for the Highway 90 entrance.
Bethany Choate, the project civil engineer, said the applicant submitted designs and permit applications to Columbia County, FDOT, Suwannee River Water Management District and the city. She said FDOT approved use of an existing entrance and that the County has issued a driveway permit while completing turn‑lane review. She said the project’s traffic study included counts during the school year (AM 7–9 a.m. and PM 4–6 p.m.) and that turn‑lane and stacking designs were added to maintain acceptable levels of service.
"FDOT has approved the entrance...the traffic study was done when school was in session," Choate said, noting the study and proposed turn lanes were designed to address peak‑hour congestion.
A nearby resident, Jim Zuber, urged the board to consider increased diesel truck traffic at the interchange and asked for projected vehicles‑per‑day numbers and stacking capacity during school drop‑off and pickup. In response, the applicant and staff said the design anticipates bypass‑type fueling stops and that the engineered turn lanes and stacking will improve safety compared with the existing arrangement at the site.
The board moved to approve PZLPA SPR26‑02; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote (McCollum, Wilson, Douglas, Johnson, Jones and Herlihy recorded as 'Yes'). Staff emphasized that separate building permits will be required for demolition, tanks and fuel systems, and that steel fencing must be in place before work begins.
