Politics & Government

Local Business Group Fighting Royal Farms, Giant Gas Proposals

The owners of current gas stations argue that allowing the stores to put in gas stations would cause a proliferation in Columbia.

 

A local organization of gas station owners is lobbying against two proposals to install gas stations at a proposed Royal Farms on Snowden River Parkway and another one at the Giant on Centre Park Drive.

"Royal Farms is a hyper-mart that is going to exacerbate an already critical situation," said Christopher Alleva, of the Howard County Independent Business Association, the local group lobbying against the new stations. "The Giant is a property that is not really big enough and does not have enough area to put a gas station in a way that is safe and efficient."

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Alleva argued the two gas stations would put a significant amount of pressure on established gas stations in the area—the Minstrel Way Exxon and the Centre Park Drive Exxon. He said the stations must make a profit off gas in order to stay in business, whereas Royal Farms and Giant can sell their gas at a discount to attract customers to their stores.

The organization already filed appeals to both gas stations with the hearing examiner. In both cases, the hearing examiner granted Royal Farms and Giant the right to proceed with their proposals.

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Giant is planning on installing eight pumps at their location at 8805 Centre Park Drive. Royal Farms is proposing a station at 9585 Snowden River Pkwy with 20 pumps and a convenience store, according to the environmental concept plan submitted to the Department of Planning and Zoning.

If built, cars could access the Royal Farms station directly from Snowden River Pkwy, according to the plans.

The Howard County Independent Business Association is particularly displeased with the Royal Farms proposal, according to Alleva. It took the unusual step, according to a zoning employee, of appealing the environmental concept plan for the station, saying it didn't conform with stormwater regulations in the county. The hearing examiner ruled against them.

Alleva said, in Columbia, gas stations were carefully zoned to avoid proliferation, such as stations sitting across the street from one another. He said if Royal Farms is approved, it would be the first gas station in Columbia to sit across the street from another one—the Exxon at Minstrel Way.

Currently both proposals are still in the development stage.

In an early version of the new comprehensive zoning plan, DPZ put in language requiring new gas stations entering the county to provide evidence they wouldn't have any negative effect on other gas stations in the area, according to Robert LaLush, a planning supervisor with DPZ.

The language was added to stem controversy over the Giant gas proposal, according to Lalush. But that language was removed from comprehensive zoning in a DPZ memo dated March 27, said LaLush.

"Proliferation is a hard thing to determine," said LaLush.

Alleva, however, argued that with more fuel-efficient vehicles, the county's environmental concerns and an emphasis on public transportation, biking, and walking; that Columbia does not need more gas stations.

He pointed to declining gas demand across the nation as another reason.

In fact, a recent Washington Post article detailed how gas stations are disappearing from Bethesda and Arlington County as the suburbs around DC continue to see increases in land value and environmentally conscious community members are giving up their cars.

"We want to have an objective and verifiable needs test that is codified that will prevent a proliferation of gas stations," said Alleva.

What do you think, does the county have enough gas stations, or do you welcome the latest proposals?


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