Some Fairborn residents and business operators said they favored Wawa’s proposal, the focus of a two-hour public hearing Monday night before Fairborn City Council voted 5-2 against it.
Credit: STAFF
Credit: STAFF
O’Leary said the plan has been reviewed by the school district, the city’s parks department, city planners, the Fairborn Area Chamber of Commerce and Wright-Patteson Air Force Base “with no letters of rejection.”
But nearly 20 Fairborn property owners – including Beavercreek residents – cited concerns that the 24/7, convenient store/fuel station operation would invite increased traffic, pose health issues, and negatively impact real estate values in an area already saturated with gas stations.
“This gas station is something we feel is unwanted … This is far more than feelings,” resident Doug Baker told city council. “You’re disrupting our lifestyle.”
Beavercreek resident Jeff Jones, who owns nearby property, said “this just isn’t a good location for a gas station.”
Several who opposed the plan said they wouldn’t mind if Wawa built in Fairborn, but not at that site.
Resident Karen Power noted there are already enough gas stations in the area, which she said has an “already fragile environment.”
O’Leary had applied for a change to Fairborn’s zoning to allow construction of a Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based business.
Plans for Wawa called for the demolition of buildings and a parking lot, to be replaced for retail and restaurant use with eight double-sided fuel pumps and 51 parking spaces, according to the city.
Project representatives have held community meetings with residents to address their concerns, according to the city. City staff supported the plan, but the Fairborn Planning Board recommended denial of the application.
Wawa received approval in September to build a site in Huber Heights. The business has said it plans to open 60 stores in Ohio in the next 10 years.
The Fairborn plans have included 30-35 full-time jobs at a site that would be open 24 hours a day, city records show.
Wawa, a chain known for its food and beverage offerings like custom-made hoagies and specialty drinks, announced in December 2022 plans to expand to Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
The company has about 1,000 stores located in the eastern states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Florida and Washington, D.C.
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