City commission grants plat for new Chevron station but tables special exception
Published 8:45 am Wednesday, May 11, 2022
A new gas station may be coming to Oxford soon.
Midstates Petroleum, LLC. plans to locate a Chevron gas station on the southwest corner of F.D. Buddy East Parkway and Highway 6.
Midstates requested a preliminary and final plat approval for the property along with a special exception to allow a service station to be located in a Traditional Neighborhood Business. In the case document, Midstates stated that the gas station would be placed in an “ideal location” and would be an asset to the community.
However, only one of those requests was approved by the Oxford Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission approved the plat approvals for the service station with the Planning Staff’s approval, however Director of Planning Ben Requet could not recommend approval of the special exception due to their lack of information.
Midstates indicated that the station would comply with a two-story building requirement, but renderings and plans only reflect a one-story building. The east-facing wall does not comply with the Land Development Code requirements because it fails to provide an architectural front towards F.D. Buddy East Parkway. The concept plan does not indicate any of the required landscaping such as the foundation planting, parking lot trees and edge plantings.
The proposal also indicates a pole sign along Highway 6, but pole signs are not allowed.
“Staff does have concerns with the lack of information submitted with this request,” said Requet. “ … Again, staff is not opposed to a gas station at this particular location if they can make sense.”
Planning Commissioners agreed with the planning staff’s assessment, believing that not enough boxes had been checked for them to give Midstates the full clear.
“Special Use usually carries with it additional conditions like this and if they meet those additional conditions then they can put the use on the property,” said Chairman JR Rigby. “In the case of a Special Exception, they’re often the same list of conditions but beyond meeting them, it has to come before us. From my point of view, [Midstates] haven’t met the additional conditions yet to come before us.”
The Planning Commission agreed to table Midstates’ request for a Special Exception until the next regular meeting on Monday, June 13.