Warrenton aldermen have approved plans for a gas station, restaurant and car wash facility at the corner of South Highway 47 and Warrior Avenue, just outside the Warrenton Pool Park.

The go-ahead comes after a two-month delay caused by a change in the facility’s site plan being presented to the city. The Warrenton Board of Aldermen voted 6-0 on Feb. 15 to approve a conditional use permit and site plan for the business.

The commercial development was proposed by Nirdosh LLC, to be located just east of the Warrenton Pool Park. The specific companies that would provide the gas station, restaurant and car wash services have not yet been publicly identified.

Plans for the facility had come before the board of aldermen in December, after being recommended for approval by Warrenton planning and zoning officials. However, prior to final approval, Nirdosh adjusted the layout of fuel pumps at the site, adding a fifth concrete “island” for fuel pumps.

That change caused aldermen to withhold a ruling on the project, instead sending the plans back to planning and zoning officials for further review. It wasn’t until February that the gas station made its way back to the aldermen for their approval.

Facility layout

Plans for the gas station show the fuel pumps lined up along the east side of the property, parallel to Highway 47. The gas station’s convenience store and restaurant would also face the highway.

The car wash building will be located off of the southwest corner of the main building, with room for a drive-thru lane between the two. The entry to the car wash will face directly north, and the exit directly south toward Warrior Avenue.

One entryway for the commercial lot will connect to Highway 47, but will have a concrete median that only allows southbound traffic to enter or exit. The "right-in, right-out" entryway was the developer’s response to concerns about traffic congestion on the highway. Northbound Highway 47 traffic will have to turn at the traffic light on Warrior Avenue in order to enter or leave from the gas station’s other entryway.

Project engineer Bart Korman with Lewis-Bade said the developer hopes to start construction by late summer or early fall, and that depending on conditions, the gas station could possibly be finished by the end of the year.

The car wash wouldn’t be added until a later, second phase of development, according to the project plans submitted to the city.

Neighbors’ concerns

Nearby homeowners north and south of the gas station property have expressed concerns about the development, including increased traffic around the Warrior Avenue/Highway 47 intersection, as well as noise from the car wash and the drive-thru of the restaurant. Bright lights in the parking lot have also been the subject of worries.

Several homeowners have told the city government that the benefit of another gas station in town is outweighed by the nuisance it will cause them.

“This all sounds wonderful and convenient ... but I would like for you to remember this is impacting the people surrounding this area every single minute of every single day,” said resident Tish Venneman, who spoke during a planning and zoning hearing in February. Her home is just south of the proposed gas station.