The Jack Tone Road / Canal Boulevard Gas Station project was approved Monday by the Ripon Planning Commission despite opposition from the neighboring area.
Those living in the Harvest Park neighborhood located south of Canal Drive — the 13,982 square foot facility in the mixed use district at 710 Jack Tone Road with a proposed Tommy's Express Car Wash next door — were against the 24-hour convenience store not to mention the possibilities of it bringing in noise, traffic problems, crime and safety concerns.
"The 24-hour convenience store is a huge red flag," said Commissioner James West. "It will change the lifestyle of the people who live in the (nearby) area."
A conditional use permit was initially requested for the owner / applicant Jack Tone Crossing / Galloway & Company Inc. due to the 24-hour operation of the store and, as a Commercial Business, being within 500 feet of a residential district, according to Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart.
Without that, the project was able to move forward with the hours of operation changed from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Commissioners, on the second go-around in voting (they shot down the first motion with the 24-hour plan), unanimously approved the second motion, which also called for the applicant to provide landscape work, a left-lane turning island on Jack Tone Road, signage shielding from the nearby neighborhood, and the car wash to be open from dawn to dusk.
Commissioner Debra Van Essen was thrilled with bringing in the quality car wash — the 4,482 square-foot building with eight vacuum stations will have an exterior made of tile, stucco, metal and glass, with cars being pulled via conveyor belt through the washing tunnel.
"People have asked me when we're going to get a high-end car wash," she said.
Zuidervaart noted that this major site development featured a 4,500 square-foot convenience store with a drive-through, a 5,000 square-foot fueling facility consisting of eight pumps / 16 fueling stations, and 12 electric vehicle charging stations.
No trucks outside of deliveries will be allowed.
Several chain businesses including possibly Baja Fresh, Starbucks and Burger King have expressed interest in occupying space in the proposed Shell gas station facility.
