GAINESVILLE – Approval was given this week for construction of a gas station and convenience store at the intersection of McEver and Light Ferry Roads, but the developer will first have to help Hall County pay for intersection improvements at that busy corner.
When presented with that costly option Tuesday evening developer Casey Walker told members of the Hall County Commission that he would agree to split the costs of intersection improvements with the county despite knowing that the money he would spend up front would eventually be bulldozed when a county-planned roundabout is constructed at that location.
“All these road improvements and the widening that we’re doing to the intersection of Lights Ferry and McEver isn’t done for our benefit,” Walker said. “It’s at extreme additional cost to our bottom line on this project, and we’re willing to do that to make this project work and for the good of the local residents.”
“The county is already planning to do a pretty decent sized roundabout project at this intersection. That project is supposed to be funded entirely by taxpayer dollars and our contribution to the temporary improvements at the intersection will lessen the taxpayer burden when that full roundabout project is completed in the next two to three years,” Walker said.
District One Commissioner Kathy Cooper commented, “I’ve had several meetings with the Engineering Department as far as the roads are concerned, and one of our engineers…explained to me that…the part of the property that is in front of the convenience store is the worse part of the road. With the convenience store having the improvements put in place it solves a lot of problems for the intersection until the roundabout can be put into place.”
Hours of operation were also conditioned as part of any approval due to the close proximity of residential neighborhoods. “The operating hours are basically the bare minimum that we could operate a convenience store,” Walker said, agreeing to the time restrains conditioned with the rezoning request.
Numerous residents of an adjacent subdivision spoke in opposition to the application with privacy, security and traffic concerns being their chief concerns.
The application was approved 4-1 with Commissioner Jeff Stowe voting in opposition.
