The city and Kwik Star/Kwik Trip. Inc., were dotting a lot of i’s and crossing a lot of t’s in a development agreement for a new Kwik Star store coming to Mount Vernon in the future.
The first change approved by the Mount Vernon City Council was a request to rezone a portion of property planned to be utilized by Kwik Star as a general com mercial business. The land to the west of the Plaza Auto Auction space was currently listed as business park in it’s zoning. Changing that land to a general commercial aligns with what the use of the land will be for the Kwik Star location.
A site plan was also approved at the Feb. 3 city council meeting.
Kacie Bonjour, real estate manager for Kwik Trip, Inc., was asking for a modification to light allowances along the Business 30 corridor.
The Kwik Star location will be a 24/7 operating business, and Bonjour was asking for the light candles under the canopies that shine on cars while fueling be allowed at 40 lumens for the car canopies and 57 lumens for the canopies over the diesel pumps catering to semis. While Kwik Star will not be a truck stop, as it does not have lodging for truck drivers to sleep in overnight, having the lights on canopies during the overnight allows drivers to be able to inspect their vehicle during fuel stops.
The station will have 10 gas pumps and two diesel pumps and offer many of the amenities of a Kwik Star location, including the bakery items, grocery store elements, hot spot food items and beverages. The site will also have a single bay car wash.
The lights in the canopies will be directed down towards the ground from the canopy and because of the direction facing, hope is the intrusion of lighting will be minimal on impacted neighbors.
City planner Leigh Bradbury had prepared the report on the building for the planning and zoning commission and the concerns the city had regarding the development of a business in the Business 30 bypass zone.
The lighting regulations exceeded the recommendations for the Business 30 master plan and general commercial restrictions.
The concerns were communicated to Kwik Trip, Inc., on Jan. 6.
Bradbury recommended approval of the site plan if it met with the illumination levels in accordance with base regulations.
Council member Paul Tuerler moved to allow the modifications to the light, with Scott Rose seconding. It proved unanimously.
There were no public comments made at the council meeting on the Kwik Star development.
Planning and Zoning commission had changed the request for the rezoning of the plat by the city council.
The city also approved a public utility easement with property owned by LRD Corp to extend a sewer main to the west of the proposed Rachel Street extension for further development of the area.
The extension of the sewer main to the west will allow for development behind Lynch Ford Chevrolet to occur in the future and connect a roadway to the west of Lynch Ford Chevrolet in the future.
Kwik Trip, Inc., also sought a storm water utility easement with LRD Corp, due to increased storm water from the development.
Action still to be taken
The council had tabled action on a final easement of the Kwik Star development for land that was owned by Plaza Auto Auction until Monday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m., during a special meeting of the city council.