Council committee hears Sheetz rezoning request for 24700 Chagrin Blvd.

Beachwood — The Beachwood City Council Committee of the Whole on April 20 heard a presentation from FlyCor and Sheetz on a proposed rezoning of 24700 Chagrin Boulevard (permanent parcel 742-25-010) from U7 general office to U9 motor service to permit a Sheetz convenience store and fueling station.

Diane Kalta, representing the applicant team, introduced FlyCor and Sheetz staff and said the request is part of a broader plan to redevelop an “obsolescent” office parcel at the city’s gateway. “There will be a significant increase in the property value when this new store has been built,” Kalta said, and she estimated intersection improvements would be “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Robert Abramovich, FlyCor’s executive vice president, described options for the site and said the former Porsche dealership site is already zoned U9, meaning a fueling station would be a permitted use there; however, Abramovich said both developer and tenant must agree on any relocation and no final decision had been made.

Sheetz representatives outlined the proposed site plan and an approved traffic study. Ellen Selle said the intersection currently operates with split phasing and that the company proposes eliminating that split by widening Commerce Drive and dedicating right-of-way from the Sheetz parcel to add a lane and align signal timing. “So in your AM peak hour, you’re only gonna have 45 new cars on the road,” Selle said, describing the traffic study’s projected 89 AM and 83 PM new‑trip figures and noting the intersection’s roughly 25,000 daily vehicles.

Ryan Balco, Sheetz regional entitlement manager, and other staff said the traffic study was prepared by an independent engineering firm using the ITE trip‑generation manual and had been reviewed and approved by the city engineer. They emphasized that roughly 75% of visits are pass‑by trips and that the proposed signal and lane changes would improve the level of service at the intersection.

Council members pressed the applicants on alternatives and community concerns. Council member Stern asked whether Sheetz was committed to this parcel or would move to the already‑zoned Porsche site if rezoning failed; FlyCor said no firm alternative decision had been made. Another council member said dozens of residents had called with worries about traffic and crime and said they had not received the traffic study; the applicants offered to provide copies and said the city engineer had approved the report.

Beachwood’s police chief, speaking to the committee, acknowledged that any 24/7 operation can generate incidents but said his review of comparable Sheetz locations (including Solon) and his department’s current staffing left him “comfortable that our department would be able to handle any issues that could arise.”

Presenters also noted letters of support from University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center and municipalities that host Sheetz stores, said Sheetz has been awarded an EV‑charging grant for the site, and described corporate community programs and store security measures, including 24‑hour monitored cameras and a regional loss‑prevention agent.

No formal vote was taken at the Committee of the Whole. Council members requested copies of the traffic study, estimates of likely real estate and income tax revenue, and further follow-up with the police chief; the matter remains under consideration and would return to the council for later action.

The committee adjourned with no further business.