New gas pumps in Sugar

Sugar City, ID – The Sugar City Planning and Zoning committee discussed the building of a new set of gas station pumps for the local gas station Thursday night, and the role they would play in that decision along with the City Council.

The owner of the Sinclair gas station, located on Center street, has give the committee and the city council a “heads up” about his want to put up new gas pumps and whether or not he would have to add an additional gas tank on that same lot.

The owner came in looking for clarification on permission to ether move or destroy a house that sits behind the gas station to make room for the pumps.

Council member number one stated that the owner has the idea to sell diesel along with the other octanes already provided. Initially it was a carwash that the owner was thinking about putting in but it is now more pumps.

To answer the owners question about whether or not he needs an addition tank council member number one clarified by stating:

“He would have to add an additional tank.”

The council member also mentioned how with only the two pumps already in existence it makes it hard for the owner when the station is really busy. The idea of putting in the other pumps in the rear of the building is to help with the congestion during those rush hours so people can go ether way.

The Sinclair is placed in the Downtown Commercial zone and because of this the owner would have to have a special use permit for the new development. The committee’s job now is to decide whether they will allow the new pumps to be put in.

In order for the project to move forward a council member by the name of Steve explain what would have to happen.

“He would come in and present then we would say ‘well you’ll have to get a special use permit and we have to have a public hearing when would you like to schedule that?’”

For the public hearing the public would be invited in to express their views on the matter and then the Planning and Zoning committee would gather there in the room where the hearing was taking place and discuss whether or not he should be allowed to build.

Council member Steve went on to explain what would happen before the public hearing in order to notify the public.

“He has to pay to put it in the news paper, he has to pay to go around within, I believe, three hundred feet and everyone has to [be notified and] receive a letter from him.”

After everyone presents his or her case at the public hearing the committee would then have to make a recommendation. The committee could table the matter right away, discuss the matter and then table it and come to a decision at a latter date or make the decision there at the present time.

In discussing the committees options in how to handle the decision when it comes to them council member number one said,

“I don’t think we want to discuss it and try and make a decision ahead of time cause I think we owe it to the public to listen to the comments.”

After the Planning and Zoning committee makes their recommendation it is up to the City Council to make the final decision. Whether the City takes the committee’s recommendation, be it yeah or nay the City can go against or with the committee’s decision.

The Planning and Zoning committee ended the discussion further informed about what their role will be once this project comes to the public hearing.