Commission Says No To Oaklawn Service Station

Citing concerns about site configuration, traffic flow and the safety of motorists and pedestrians, Leesburg Planning Commissioners decided that a proposed service station at the forthcoming Oaklawn development just had too many question marks to be approved.

Commissioners voted 4-1-2 to recommend denial of a special exception for a service station that would include a convenience store, freestanding car wash and 16 fueling stations fronting on Miller Drive. The service station does not have a specified user yet. The proposed service station would be surrounded by several commercial uses, all already approved, including a four-story office building, fast food restaurant and bank.

Christine Gleckner of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Emerich, who represented the applicant, Eric Schmitz, said that the proposed service station was in a unique situation, as it is the only parcel in Land Bay C of the Oaklawn development that required a special exception. Two permits were originally granted for service stations in the development, one of which remains in Land Bay D and does not require a special exception and another, which the developers had originally planned for a mixed-use area of Oaklawn. In 2007 developers had a zoning amendment approved to move the latter parcel further away from the residential area to its current proposed location in Land Bay C, warranting a special exception.

Gleckner also noted that Schmitz comes from a long line of service station owners, as his family has owned and operated Schmitz Exxon on Rt. 7 and Spring Hill Road in Tysons Corner. The Loudoun County resident would own and operate the Oaklawn service station.

But senior planner John Johnston brought forward town staff's concerns about the proposed application, which included the site layout that proposes the fueling pumps to front the street with the convenience store in back. He also noted that the applicant proposes three two-way entrances on the site, which he said could conflict with pedestrian and motorist traffic on and off site.

Schmitz explained that he was not willing to change the site configuration and put the convenience store fronting the street and potentially blocking the view of the fuel pumps.

"I view it as hiding what I'm selling," Schmitz said. "I think I'd be putting myself at a huge business disadvantage. I don't feel I'm asking for anything other folks haven't gotten."

Zoning Administrator Brian Boucher also emphasized the potential effects of having so many entrances onto the site, saying the traffic and pedestrian flow mixing together could resemble "the Wild West."

"When we have three two-way entrances it becomes a little unnerving," he said.

The majority of commissioners sided with the opinions voiced by Johnston, Boucher and the rest of town staff. In making a motion for denial, Commissioner Doris Kidder noted "all the problems of this site and the staff comments and the problems it would cause for pedestrians." Commissioners Ad Barnes, Mary Harper and David Miles supported Kidder in her recommendation for denial. Commissioners Earl Hoovler and Brett Burk were absent for the vote.

Chairman Ted Kalriess, the lone commissioner who voted against recommending denial, harkened back to Gleckner's comment about the unique position the service station was in. He noted that many other surrounding parcels had parking spaces fronting the streets and noted that, despite the Town Plan's push for a pedestrian-oriented environment, "the whole land bay is an auto-oriented site."

"I'm not sure what to think about applying some of the guidelines to the one little piece out of here when the gates are already open and the horses have left the stalls," Kalriess said.