All three appeals were combined into one appeal during Monday evening’s public hearing, which continued into early Tuesday morning.
Representatives from the church and retirement community, which have facilities near the proposed Sheetz development, along with nearby Village South residents voiced their opposition, explaining why they believe the project is inconsistent and incompatible with the use and character of surrounding properties.
Ann Baines, a 5-year resident of Bethany Village, said “gas stations were not part of the decision-making process,” when she and her husband chose the community as their home.
Baines, like numerous others Monday evening, told city council the addition of the proposed gas station would be “a mistake,” negatively affecting public safety by causing increases in traffic, crime and pollution.
She questioned the need for another new gas station in the area.
“UDF and Shell just down the street provides easy access for drivers and a Sheetz gas station will be built where the current Route 725 Ethan Allen does business (in Washington Twp.), so we have another one not very far away,” she said. “To count all the current gas stations in Centerville and the neighboring townships, you will need more than all your fingers and toes.
“There are 22 gas stations in the city of Centerville and the surrounding areas, so I say ‘When is enough enough?’ I believe we’re there.”
The Rev. Julie Reuning-Scherer, who has served as senior pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church the past 20 months, said developing Sheetz next door to the 1,500-member church “will threaten our ability to continue these ministries.”
Besides traffic generated via the estimated thousands of vehicles per day the station would attract, the 24-hour nature of the business “invites accidents and harmful behavior,” Reuning-Scherer said.
“The proposed Sheetz development does not take into account the dangers of traffic for people in vehicles and on foot on neighboring properties or streets,” she said. “It does not take into account the things that make Epiphany’s grounds a place of connection to God and to other people.
“It furthermore does not fit the city’s commitment to education and public safety, but rather jeopardizes Epiphany’s ability to continue to be the valuable community partner that we have been in this area for the past 64 years.”
Richard Tranter, an attorney for commercial real estate development firm Skilken Gold, which represents Sheetz in its effort to open locations in the Dayton market, said much of the assertions made before city council Monday night sought to portray his client as “the harbinger of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that’s not the case.”
During his remarks before city council, Tranter emphasized that Sheetz was approved to build on the site as part of a permitted use and that a government entity cannot issue an arbitrary decree and wipe out that permitted use.
“The challenge for city council is that they must find that their city engineer, planning staff and planning commission, who are highly professional and qualified, did not follow their ordinances and, in effect, acted improperly,” Tranter said. “The applicant’s position is contrary in that the city engineer, the planning commission and the planning staff all acted properly, and ... after thoughtful deliberations.”
Centerville Mayor Brooks Compton said city council will consider comments made during Monday’s appeal and render its decision Oct. 23 during its next regularly scheduled meeting.
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