During a Jan. 17 meeting, Keller City Council tabled a decision about whether to allow fuel pumps at the Kroger store located at 2061 Rufe Snow Drive until its Feb. 7 meeting.
The ordinance in question needed the council’s approval of a specific-use permit for fuel pumps/sales at that location. As part of its application, Kroger proposed having five fueling dispensers with pumps on each side for a total of 10 fueling pumps. The three dispensers closest to the store would have diesel pumps in addition to gasoline on each side.
In a letter to council dated Nov. 17, Kroger Senior Project Manager Richard Binkley stated allowing 10 fuel pumps would not require any modifications to the footprint of the store, and it would make the store more competitive with adjacent fuel centers.
Council recently approved a uniform development code amendment that added supplemental fuel pump regulations for the retail zoning district that included limiting the number of fueling dispensers to four with pumps on each side for a total of eight fueling pumps, according to city documents. As part of Kroger’s request during the Jan. 17 meeting, the grocery retailer submitted a request per the uniform development code to modify the supplemental regulations for the retail zoning district to allow a fifth fueling dispenser for a total of 10 pumps. Council denied that request.
By tabling the decision, council allowed Kroger time to come back with another blueprint for fuel dispensers that meet Keller’s uniform development code at the Feb. 7 meeting.
Even though council tabled its decision, several residents who live in the surrounding area voiced their opinion about how adding fuel pumps would negatively affect their neighborhoods.
“We’re woken up at about 6 a.m. with the noise of the [delivery] trucks,” Keller resident Matt Cirone said. "If you could imagine what we go through every day, imagine what would happen now if we have a 24/7 gas station where people are free to come and drive through whenever they want. Just imagine what that would do to your sanity and health.”
