Maverik is gearing up for a comeback in Summit County at the northeast intersection of Quinn’s Junction, but the gas station still needs to address a few aspects of its plan before it can hit the road.
The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission on Tuesday night hesitated to grant Maverik a conditional use permit that would allow a convenience store to be built on the corner of Old Highway 40 and Atkinson Road. In the spring, the Summit County Council amended the code to allow gas stations to exist under the current service commercial zone. However, planning commissioners needed more time to consider the project’s impacts.
Traffic and the environment were the top concerns for county staff and the Planning Commission.
According to a traffic impact study, the existing intersection between the frontage road and S.R. 248 is expected to fail during peak hours because of the level of traffic near the site. The other roadways would be fine.
County planners recognized it’s one of the busiest intersections in Summit County and said Transportation Department staff have been working on a new configuration to pull the intersections away from each other to spread out traffic and give more room for queuing, making it safer overall.
Traffic would be able to enter the gas station from Atkinson Road or Old Highway 40. However, cars could only leave from the frontage road.
County engineers have been considering the development in the new design of the roadway, according to Richard Piggott, Maverik’s senior entitlement manager. There were also recommendations to work with the Utah Department of Transportation to install a stoplight and include deceleration or turning lanes in and out of the property.
Members of the Planning Commission needed additional time to review the traffic study. However, several had concerns about the 37 parking spaces allocated in the project as well as its proximity to the Rail Trail.
Planning Commissioners Makena Hawley and Thomas Cooke advocated for an active transportation component of the project to help connect to people recreating in the area. They questioned if there was a way to adapt the roadway design or create a multi-modal pathway.
“It would be a shame if it wasn’t as accessible by bike or by people walking as it is by a car,” Hawley said.
The proposed Maverik is also located in a soil overlay zone, which has special requirements for remediation before construction is allowed. The zone was created in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency because of Park City’s mining history and the possibility of contaminated soils.
Tests were conducted on the area in September 2022, and the results affirmed the property is suitable for commercial-style development. Piggott estimated about 304 tons of soil was transported to the Three Mile Landfill because the top six-to-eight inches of the entire lot had to be removed under the guidelines of the zone.
Maverik only plans to develop a portion of the 7.6-acre lot. Around 3 acres are in a wetland area that will remain untouched, meeting the 60% open space requirement in the area.
Piggott said Maverik is committed to environmental protection, using state-of-the-art materials and technology including 24/7 leak detection.
Maverik would have an almost 6,000-square-foot convenience store with a total of 22 fueling stations for cars and commercial vehicles, as well as the possibility for 16 more fuel pumps in the future. The landscaping would blend in with the native landscape and include a seating area for customers.
The store interior would match other Utah locations with a national parks and adventure theme. It would be open around the clock. It’s unclear whether the store would be able to sell bags of ice, propane or wood because outdoor displays are prohibited under the current code.
The proposed site would also provide a much-needed option for motorists traveling between Park City and Kamas because there are no existing service stations on S.R. 248, meaning residents must drive into either location.
Planning Commission Chair Chris Conabee said the development could help stop people from coming into town, diverting some of the traffic.
The gas station would go in at the corner of the Park City Business Center. There is already a concrete plant, towing business, gun range, auto repair shop, commercial retail, art studio, offices and live-work development located inside the area.
Planning commissioners continued the conversation to Tuesday, Sept. 10. Members could vote on the project then.
Maverik CEO Crystal Maggelet is a resident of Deer Valley.