Efforts to build a Maverik gas station in Quinn’s Junction stalled this week until officials could determine if the proposed parking plan should be allowed to exceed the limit established in the Snyderville Basin code, potentially shifting the project into neutral.
Maverik representatives returned to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission this week with revised plans to create better connectivity from the site at the intersection of Old Highway 40 and Atkinson Road near S.R. 248 and reduce the number of spaces on the property from 37 to 31.
While the Planning Commission appreciated the effort, they asked staff on Tuesday to review a parking study to resolve whether the demand would justify exceeding the allotment of 21 stalls. Language in the code allows exceptions to be made under certain circumstances.
Planning Commissioners Bruce Carmichael and Thomas Cooke raised the issue, saying they hope to avoid an appeal further down the line should the project be approved.
A representative from Maverik said the gas station does have a parking memo, which it supplied to county staff during the meeting.
Ray Milliner, the county’s principal planner, didn’t have time to review the document at that moment. However, the staff report said the gas station would likely be popular with ample parking needed to accommodate customers.
Maverik representatives estimated the industry standard is 48 parking spots. So, they saw 31 as an effort to appease the Planning Commission while mitigating the challenges similar commercial facilities experience without the right number.
The original plan called for 37 spots, but the applicant removed seven spots on the southern portion of the property and moved one elsewhere, eliminating the rest.
Planning Commissioner Tyann Mooney encouraged Maverik to wait for staff to review the plan rather than further reduce its total parking count. She said she could see the need for more than two dozen spots.
At least four spots would also be “future-proofed” to ensure they’re compatible with electric vehicle charging. Cooke said the Snyderville Basin code doesn’t require it, but he asked the gas station to consider the site as a prototype for thoughtful development.
That’s, in part, why Maverik agreed to reconfigure its parking design: to create a path from what will become the new frontage road to the gas station. The route would take pedestrians and bicyclists around the parking lot and fueling area to avoid conflicts with vehicles and provide safe passage to the convenience store.
Milliner said county staff proposed creating a bike lane that goes up and toward the entryway from the road. The Utah Department of Transportation is now considering three choices, including widening the sidewalk and building a shared-use path.
UDOT will have the final say about which solution is chosen. The project will be incorporated and designed in conjunction with a bridge overpass that’s being built for the Rail Trail.
Maverik only plans to develop a portion of the 7.6-acre lot. Around 3 acres are in a wetland area that would remain untouched, meeting the 60% open space requirement in the area.
The Summit County Council amended the code to allow gas stations to exist in the area under the current service commercial zone in the spring, and now the Planning Commission must decide whether to grant a conditional use permit for the project.
The site would also house a 6,000-square-foot store with 22 fueling stations for cars and commercial vehicles. Another 16 fuel pumps could be added in the future.
Supporters see the proposed site as a way to provide a much-needed option for motorists traveling between Park City and Kamas because there are no existing service stations on S.R. 248, meaning residents must drive into either location.
Planning commissioners continued the conversation to a later date. They could vote on the project then.
The Planning Commission meets regularly at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.