Warrenton zoning panel approves Circle K alcohol permit amid debate over diesel service and roundabout access

The Warrenton Finance and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit for alcohol sales at a proposed Circle K convenience store and fuel station and recommended the projectsite plan to the Board after commissioners raised concerns about tractor-trailer access and site operations.

The commission voted 9–0 to approve CUP-105, which covers alcohol sales conditions only; the commission later recommended approval of Site Plan-188 by a 6–3 vote and will forward that recommendation to the Board for final action on May 19. The proposed development is a 7,472-square-foot store (about 5,200 square feet of convenience retail plus a quick-service restaurant with drive-through) and fuel facilities on a 3.34-acre parcel east of Warrenton Boulevard, north of West Veterans Memorial Parkway and south of Interstate 70.

"We're taking roughly 3.3 acres and making it 80% pervious, so we're providing underground detention per the city standards," said Matt Foverde, an engineer with Premier Design Group, who presented the plans and answered detailed engineering and operational questions. Foverde described a two-tier grading plan to address a reported 12-to-25-foot elevation change across the site, an accessible switchback ramp, truck fueling canopy with two full and a half drive lanes, and four short-term truck parking spaces.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on multiple operational points. Asked about the accessible ramp, Foverde said the slope is "just under 8%" (around 7.9%), and staff confirmed the design meets the cited federal slope standard (the applicant referenced an 8.3% maximum). When asked about tank volumes, Foverde estimated rough tank footprints on the record (an HSD/diesel tank footprint of about 10,000 gallons, two ~10,000-gallon tanks on the gasoline side and an additional ~5,000 gallons) and offered to provide exact numbers after the meeting.

Multiple commissioners said their primary concern was truck access from the nearby roundabouts. One commissioner argued that the existing roundabout geometry and current backups, exacerbated by an I-47 detour, make the location risky for frequent tractor-trailer fueling and queuing. "I'm not gonna support this the way it's laid out," the commissioner said, urging that the commission could only support the store if diesel fueling for over-the-road tractors were removed. The applicant and other commissioners countered that many Circle K locations serve mostly local (Class B) traffic, with the applicant estimating roughly 75% local sales and about 25% over-the-road diesel sales at similar sites.

Planning staff clarified the scope of the conditional use review: the CUP before the commission applies only to alcohol sales and related conditions under the municipal code, while fuel sales are a permitted use in the C-3 Highway Commercial district and site design, circulation and jurisdictional roadwork (for example, adding turn lanes under MoDOT authority) are handled in the site-plan and subsequent approval processes.

Commissioners proposed, and the applicant agreed to investigate, several operational measures as part of the site-plan follow-up: signage restricting overnight parking; consideration of a dog-waste bag station and trash receptacles near front parking; and clarification of pump operations intended to encourage pay-at-pump and short-term in-and-out patronage rather than overnight truck parking.

Votes at a glance: - Conditional Use Permit (CUP-105) — Motion to approve (mover: Mister Cornell; seconder: Miss Tibbets); vote: 9–0; outcome: approved. The CUP pertains to alcohol sales; staff noted conditions must relate to lessening harms associated with that use. - Site Plan (Site Plan-188) — Motion to recommend approval (mover: Mister Cullum; seconder: Mister Cornell); vote: 6–3 with one vacancy; outcome: recommendation to Board on May 19. Commissioners who voted no cited concerns about truck maneuverability and proximity to the roundabout.

What happens next: The applicant will provide clarified tank volumes, confirm operational details such as specific alcohol-sale hours per code, and report back on signage and amenity options. The Board will consider the site-plan recommendation at its May 19 meeting.

Details and context: The project calls for 10 total pump positions (five dispensers), a high-speed diesel canopy on the eastern half of the property intended for trucks, and a design the applicant says mirrors recently opened Circle K stores in the region. Staff referenced Chapter 405 of the municipal code as the governing development standard. The commission was careful to separate the CUP decision (alcohol sale conditions) from site-plan technical approvals and jurisdictional road improvements that may require MoDOT coordination.

The commission closed its meeting after the votes and asked staff (Mister Burks) to follow up with the June agenda, which will include a zone change and a preliminary/final plat item.