Erlanger residents came out to Thursday night’s Kenton County Planning Commission meeting to give their opinions about a proposed Wawa convenience store, the fate of which is now in the hands of Erlanger City Council.
The proposed 6,372-square-foot convenience store would be located at the corner of Stevenson and Turkeyfoot Roads, at the current site of the Bright Future Child Enrichment center in Erlanger.
Before construction can begin, the Planning Commission must either support or oppose the proposed commercial zoning changes, which then go to Erlanger City Council for a final decision.
According to the presented plans, there would be sixteen gas pumps, two nineteen-foot-tall pylon signs and a pickup lane for app-based food orders.
A Wawa representative estimated that the facility would hire 35 to 40 employee-owners, though they did not know whether the positions would be full or part time. They also pointed out the community investment Wawa intended to make, including donations to local police and fire department charities.
The community, however, was less than sold on the project. Over 20 potential neighbors showed up to speak at the meeting.
One topic of concern was traffic at the nearby intersection. Resident Ted Schumacher relayed an encounter with an Erlanger police officer who referred to the road as the “Turkeyfoot One Hundred” due to its reputation for high speeds and dangerous crashes.
“Unless you live there, you don’t understand how difficult that [Turkeyfoot Road] is,” resident Kim Heimbrock said, “…I’ve got grandchildren driving now, and they won’t even go that way. It’s too dangerous.”
This traffic unease was only increased by a design quirk in the Wawa’s parking lot. In making the Stevenson Road entrance and exit right-turn-only, many speakers worried that the store wouldn’t go to the necessary lengths to ensure customers didn’t turn left onto the street, which they feared could cause collisions.
Another issue related to the occupant of the desired lot. Alece Piper has a child enrolled at the Bright Future Center and was concerned about the 50 other families with children in the program. “You’ve got to put your kids somewhere, and if they’re not school age, you’ve only got so many options,” Piper told the Planning Commission.
Commissioner Greg Sketch addressed her concern, explaining that the property’s owner, Sierra Development LLC, intended to sell the lot.
“We’re just a recommending body,” Sketch said. “This has nothing to do with whether it’s a daycare or whether it’s a Wawa. If they didn’t want to sell it, the Wawa wouldn’t be here.”
Other residents mentioned more personal concerns, including worries about crime, animal pests, and potential environmental damage from construction.
Near the end of the meeting, the Wawa representative team attempted to assuage concerns about the future convenience store.
Regarding earlier traffic concerns, Sierra Development LLC lawyer Loren Wolff said, “Those ingress and egress points, the left turns and right turns, those were all requirements from the Department of Transportation.”
In an eight-to-four vote, the Kenton County Planning Commission chose to pass on an opposing decision against the zoning change to the Erlanger City Council.
The next Erlanger City Council meeting where action on the matter could take place will be Jan. 6.