AURORA | If it seems like there’s no shortage of gas stations along South Havana Street in southwest Aurora, you’re right.
In the 3.6-mile span between East Alameda and East Dartmouth avenues, 12 gas stations line the distance, nearly one on every block.
City council members this week agreed there should be one more.
“I will say I hear all the time from my constituents in southeast Aurora,” Councilmember Françoise Bergan said during Monday’s city council meeting. “They’re sick of seeing gas stations.”
The abundance of gas stations in the area is one reason Aurora’s Planning and Zoning Commission took an unusual step recently to oppose a site plan and conditional use proposal for a QuikTrip fueling station to replace the old Sam’s No. 3, which stood near the corner of Havana Street and Parker Road for decades.
Although there is nothing currently in city code that would prevent the company from moving in, Planning and Zoning denied it because they “inferred’ the business could poorly impact the area, according to city records.
“The elegance of conditional use criteria is they are open-ended, and they allow us to factor in the surrounding circumstances and make sure that a use doesn’t generate any sort of adverse impact that would affect the surrounding neighborhood,” James Schireman, urban planner for Aurora, said. “They were concerned with the large amount of gas stations in the area, and they inferred that finding upon the conditional use criteria.”
City council members on Monday overturned the decision by the planning commission. They approved the project to move forward, citing that QuikTrip’s proposed plan met all of the criteria for city code.
Councilmember Curtis Gardner said it would be unfair to change or add new criteria during the approval process, and that property owners have the right to use their land for any use that meets the established standards.
He said that they should look into changing the criteria in the future, if they want to change the issue.
Councilmember Alison Coombs disagreed.
“It’s conditional for a reason. It allows the Planning and Zoning Commission to have an opportunity to weigh in,” Coombs said. “I think we should uphold the Planning and Zoning Commission. I think they were also attempting to address issues that were brought to them by the community and the issues they see.”
Surrounding businesses in the shopping center also spoke at Monday’s city council meeting in approval of the construction, including support from Epic Mountain Gear and Lenny’s Golf and Ski, both next to the site in the massive strip mall center.
“Both have expressed their support for QuikTrip, citing enhanced security presence and superior lighting that will help deter criminal activity, particularly during nighttime hours,” Robert Hatch, the attorney representing the property owners of the space, said. “QuikTrip’s advanced monitoring cameras are exceptional, and they have a pretty centralized security system that will significantly reduce the site’s appeal to criminal elements.”
Hatch went on to add that Quick Trip’s full-size kitchen offers more fresh food options than traditional gas stations, and that the owners are third-generation Colorado natives who donate to local causes where their businesses are located.
The proposed construction plan will also add trees and vegetation to the large open parking lot that fills the gaps around the closed restaurant building, and they propose to add more pedestrian walkways, making it safer for pedestrians and easier to access the bus stop on the corner of the two busy roads.
While Coombs said that the open lot makes for a good community location for large groups of people to gather when an ample space like that is needed.
The site plans also aim to smooth the traffic flow through the lot, accessing Havana Street and Parker Road.
Both Councilmembers Bergan confirmed that there is little they can do about the Sam’s No. 3 closing after the property owner chose not to sell the long-serving diner. City Council has no control over forcing the property owner to lease the closed building to a new restaurant.
Council approved the site plan for QuikTrip with three council members opposed, including Coombs, Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo. Councilmember Stephanie Hancock said she was unable to vote and had to leave the room and recuse herself from the conversation to avoid a conflict of interest.
We are absolutely disgusted with the city council(as usual). Why do we need ANOTHER freaking gas station? Better food, seriously? We need decent restaurants, but fast, crappy food seems to define the taste the council thinks Aurora residents have. Such a great opinion of us, thanks JERKS. And we thought Juan Marcano was our worst enemy. Ha!
The reason Sam’s left is because of absurdly high rent! Take a look around.. so many vacancies in that area. Somebody’s full of hot gas, and it stinks! Havana has become a stupidly dangerous road with people changing lanes erratically , absolutely NOTHING remotely appealing about this steer, and ruining the appeal of the neighborhoods on the interior! All these gas stations? It’s become a pit stop off a highway! YUCK
Forget the Quick-Trip. They need to put a Buck-ees at the Havana and Parker Rd intersection!
This decision of land-use on this little corner is more of a symptom of societal regression of Aurora’s culture that marches forward every day. This speaks volumes of what we now accept as eat and run dining. Sam’s served a clear purpose as a mid-grade eatery for quite a few years. Is this the cities leader’s responsibility and their decision making to stop a land owner from the right to move forward with his project of land conversion? This has nothing to do with some “conditional use” code issue. Yea, absolutely we would like just one elegant restaurant rather than one more gas station with some sprinkles. Just one nice steak house that brings the feel of a nice high-end place, you gotta-be kidding? One with a real chef and staff. And it’s not that complex that we never had any. Once upon a time, believe it or not, Aurora had several first rate places you didn’t have to go to Cherry Creek to enjoy a top-notch meal. 94th Aero squadron, Emil-Lenes Sirloin House and The Summit Steak House 2700 S Havana – now refashioned a Maverik gas station. https://www.westword.com/restaurants/auroras-summit-steakhouse-becomes-salvage-restaurant-after-forty-years-9563074
As long as the city is willing to tolerate the high crime, homelessness, non-enforcement of so much they should be taking care of we will continue to see that no company would consider The City Aurora as any kind of a good business neighbor/partner. The businesses nearby spoke they were happy this was coming. One big reason, these business stated and the owner stated QuikTrip brings along their own safety driven advantage, they bring sage security. Extra lighting, high end camera security and surveillance. And finally, even though this was discussion on a land use appeal issue anyone that has watched the council meetings saw the on-purpose disorder the infamous crew of three, always mange to furnish. These three obsessed with hijacking city business employ their typical pathetic kinder-garden mentality tactic. Regrettably, they’re fixated to distract from the purpose of peoples meetings with their version of system chaos aimed mainly to destroy the determination of Council Jurinsky, Sundburg, and Kassaw.
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