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Board approves Winston convenience‑store redevelopment but limits pumps and orders environmental remediation
Summary
After mixed testimony, commissioners approved rezoning and a special‑use permit to rebuild the Midget Market in Winston with conditions requiring EPD violations be remedied by Dec. 20, 2026, installation of new storage tanks, and a limit of no more than three fuel pumps and motion‑sensing lighting to reduce neighborhood impacts.
Planning staff recommended approval of the Z2026‑50 rezoning (RA to CH) and S2026‑51 special‑use permit to demolish and rebuild an existing convenience store at 4333 and 4289 Post Road in Winston, conditioned on remediation of existing Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division (EPD) violations and other development requirements.
Applicant counsel Chuck Connolly and owner Deb Bandy said the owners have ordered new tanks and planned remediation work. "The tanks that are there will be taken out of service and closed," Connolly told the board; Bandy added that Phase 1/Phase 2 site testing had not shown contaminants and that the owners planned new monitoring systems and gated after‑hours access.
Neighbors who opposed the request cited a long record of EPD notices and reported lighting, security and traffic problems at the existing site; several urged stricter conditions or denial. "The last time this place reported to be in compliance was 2014," opponent Tina Chen said, citing public records she gathered. Supporters said the owners are engaged in the community and have already invested in repairs and new equipment.
The Planning & Zoning board recommended approval. On the Board of Commissioners floor, members added two conditions: limit pumps to no more than three and require motion‑sensing lighting and other measures to minimize light intrusion into nearby homes. The board approved the rezoning and special‑use permit (S2026‑51) by a 3–2 vote with those additional conditions; staff retained authority to require remediation by 12/20/2026 and to return the application for a show‑cause hearing if the timeline is not met.
What happens next: the applicant will close and remove old underground storage tanks, install modern monitoring systems and proceed under the conditions defined by staff and the board. Planning staff will verify EPD compliance and monitor the project’s DRC process.
