St. Johns County waiting for Buc-ee’s to make its next move
By Jake Martin
Posted Jan 31, 2018 at 2:01 AM
St. Augustine Record
St. Johns County appears caught under the expanding footprint of Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based and Texas-sized gas station and convenience store chain with its sights set on Florida.
The privately-owned company is looking to set up shop in the southwest sector of the Interstate-95/International Golf Parkway interchange, much to the chagrin of many area residents.
Buc-ee’s submitted a pre-application to St. Johns County in September outlining a proposed project consisting of 120 gas pumps and a 52,600-square-foot convenience store.
The county has said numerous times the development application will not require a review process by the Planning and Zoning Agency or the Board of County Commissioners unless the applicant requests variances not approved by current zoning.
But that hasn’t kept several residents from the World Golf Village area from regularly speaking during general public comment at commission meetings.
At the Jan. 18 meeting, resident James Pavone questioned if the project really fits into the county’s vision and whether first responders are prepared and equipped to respond to any possible catastrophes, such as a fire, at a facility capable of storing up to half a million gallons of fuel.
He pointed to dozens of existing pumps at the same exit, as well as two truck stops just 5 miles north of the proposed site.
“I think this is overkill and it seems like it’s a bad idea,” Pavone said.
Other residents expressed concerns about potential negative impacts on traffic, safety, property values and quality of life. One came with some examples of Buc-ee’s billboards and slogans, calling the chain an “eyesore” and “crass.”
As of Tuesday morning, there were 1,893 signatures on a petition on www.change.org called “Petitioning St. Johns County Commissioners: The World Golf Community does not want Buc-ee’s convenience store.”
In their reasons for signing, petitioners commented that traffic in the area is already “bumper to bumper,” that I-95 at International Golf Parkway is already one of the most dangerous sections of the interstate in Florida, that the Buc-ee’s would have a negative impact on property values, and that it’s just plain “unsightly.”
Nonetheless, according to a status update posted to St. Johns County’s website this week, the proposed project adheres to all land use and zoning regulations applicable for the property.
“At this time, the applicant has not submitted a variance request,” the update says. “Should a variance of the zoning or land use be requested, a public hearing process by the Planning and Zoning Agency or the Board of County Commissioners would be initiated.”
The county says staff recently received and approved an Incremental Master Development Plan, which is a basic site plan that outlines the location of the building, driveways and setback. However, a Commercial Construction Plan will still have to be submitted before Buc-ee’s can apply for a building permit.
The property’s land use designation is mixed use and the zoning is planned unit development within the World Commerce Center PUD, which the county says allows for retail, commercial and industrial development, including gas stations. Buc-ee’s immediate neighbors would include such landmarks as Ring Power’s corporate headquarters.
County spokesman Michael Ryan told The Record on Tuesday there’s been no “monumental step in the timeline” as of yet in the development process and that the county is more or less waiting for the company to make its next move. He said there’s been “some paperwork” as well as verbal comments going back and forth on the application, which is nothing outside the normal process.
He said a variance request could change that, but that the county has not received any indication from Buc-ee’s lately that it will do so. He said as long as they stay within the bounds of the land use designation and zoning, they’re pretty much free to roam.
“They can build the biggest beef jerky bar they want inside that store,” Ryan said.
Meanwhile, World Golf Village isn’t the only Florida location on the chain’s radar.
Another Buc-ee’s is planned for Daytona, next to the I-95/LPGA Boulevard interchange. Site plans submitted to the city call for the Buc-ee’s to have a 53,254-square-foot store. Also planned are five outparcels where smaller standalone retail buildings could be built for other tenants.
Yet another Buc-ee’s is planned for Fort Myers, where a 50,000-square-foot store and 80-pump gas station is being floated.
For comparison, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported on Jan. 9 that the largest convenience store/gas station in Florida at present is believed to be the Busy Bee truck stop in Live Oak, which has 38 gas pumps and a 20,000-square-foot store.
But size isn’t everything.
Gas Buddy, a Boston-based crowdsourcing smartphone app connecting drivers with preferred gas stations, or “their Perfect Pit Stop,” recently declared Buc-ee’s the No. 1 gas station in America.
The study, based on customer reviews, said the chain led the competition in all six categories: coffee, cleanliness, customer service, outdoor lighting, restrooms and overall.
Buc-ee’s general counsel Jeff Nadalo has previously told The Record he understands the concerns of residents but also thinks some of them will be assuaged as they learn more about the stores.
He said it’s important to realize Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop. Its pumps will not accommodate semitrailers, except to make deliveries. Also, the stores do not currently sell lottery tickets.
“The types of products we sell are very much middle of the road,” Nadalo said. “In terms of congestion, we do a really good job of planning ahead of time to minimize congestion. We are very familiar with how to get people in and out quickly.”
Co-owner Arch “Beaver” Aplin told the Florida Times-Union last year that he hopes to break ground during the first quarter of 2018 and that construction would take about 12 months.
Ryan said that timeline may not be too far off, especially in lieu of any variance requests to have come up, since the developers would not have to seek approval from the PZA or commission in that scenario.
