(Posted July 2, 2014)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
Plans are in the works for construction of a Turkey Hill gas station and convenience store on the northeast corner of U.S. Route 40 and State Route 142 east of West Jefferson.
In conjunction with those plans, the Madison County Zoning Commission is recommending rezoning of two pieces of property at that corner. The Madison County commissioners will hold a public hearing and vote on the rezoning at 10:30 a.m. July 14.
Pax Properties Ltd., based in London, plans to sell 5.5 acres on Route 40 to Turkey Hill for the new store, according to Dave Hughes, Madison County building and zoning administrator. The Environmental Protection Agency says one corner of the lot is unsuitable for water and sewer, so PAX wants to swap 2.5 acres with neighboring property owner, Larry Huston, who owns 19.33 acres on Route 142.
The Pax property is zoned as a neighborhood commercial district, which allows for a single building housing multiple wholesale or retail businesses. Huston’s property is zoned for light industrial. Both property owners are requesting rezoning to general commercial, which would help to facilitate the Turkey Hill development.
The benefit to the county, Hughes said, is the added layer of land use control that comes with general commercial zoning.
“With general commercial, there are no automatic permitted uses (of the land). Any additional business activity would require a public hearing,” he said. That is not the case with neighborhood commercial districts, which automatically allow certain wholesale and retail activities.
If the county commissioners approve the rezonings on July 14, Hughes said the next step is for his office to work with Turkey Hill to iron out standards for their planned development. Then, Turkey Hill will request a conditional use permit from the Madison County Board of Zoning Appeals. This step will include another public hearing at which the business will present specific drawing and plans.
“I won’t take them to the final public hearing until I know it’s a workable matter,” Hughes said.
Turkey Hill markets are one of five convenience store divisions in the United States operated by The Kroger Co.
