Pawnee City Council affirms rezoning for proposed 24-hour fueling station north of Dollar General

Pawnee City Mayor Charlie Hatfield and the City Council on Nov. 24 affirmed a Planning Commission-approved rezoning that will allow a 24-hour fueling station on a parcel north of the Dollar General.

The rezoning application, filed by Mark Sunneberg Jr., requested changing Lot 28 and the north half of Lot 29 (23-2-11) from R1 (single-family residential) to GC (general commercial). The Planning Commission approved the application at its Nov. 4 meeting; Council Member Vickie Zelenka moved to affirm that decision and Council Member Donnie Fisher seconded. A roll-call vote by the four members present was unanimous.

Sunneberg told the council he plans fuel pumps for gasoline and diesel sized to serve tractor trailers and school buses. Council members raised operational concerns about the rock road immediately north of the property, saying heavy vehicles could sink or slide in heavy rainfall and that the road may need to be improved before the site operates at full capacity. City staff and Council did not adopt specific remediation measures at the meeting but recorded the need for street upgrades as part of project planning.

The hearing opened at 7:05 p.m. and closed at 7:12 p.m.; the council then voted to affirm the planning commission’s approval. The record shows no recorded abstentions; all present voted in favor. The council did not specify conditional permits or a timetable for required road work during the meeting.

Next steps identified by city staff include coordination with the Planning Commission and any required permit applications or infrastructure assessments to ensure the adjoining roadway can safely accommodate heavy commercial traffic.