Buc-ee’s is one step closer to coming to Mansfield.
Mansfield Planning Commission members on April 14 recommended 5-to-1 applying Mansfield’s B-2 general business district zoning to about 110 acres planned for annexation into the city at the Interstate 71/Ohio 39 interchange. One member, Chad Owens, abstained. Member William Salas voted no.
According to the planning commission agenda, 54.13 acres are in Madison Township, 1.11 acres are in Mifflin Township and 55.3 acres are owned by the State of Ohio.
Two hundred full-time jobs could be coming with a proposed Buc-ee’s Travel Center slated for construction in Richland County.
Several residents who live in the proposed area for Buc-ee’s addressed the commission April 14 with safety, traffic, farming, water and other environmental concerns.
Gwen Stadelman, addressed members, saying she is the mother of Nick Stadelman, of Lucas Road, who also addressed the commission and whose farm would be directly impacted by Buc-ee’s.
“My concern is for safety, not only for my son driving very large safety equipment, also that of the safety of the patrons of Buc-ee’s. He’s going to be driving through all of this area that you see (on map) on 39 to access his property,” she said.
“I can tell you on multiple occasions the amount of traffic out there is very nil, very nil, kind of quiet,” she said.
She said her concern is with the roads themselves,” she said. “… A mother’s worse nightmare. My son was hit on 39. He was rear-ended. He had a bone that was broken in his back,” she added. “I don’t want to see other people subjected to this nor do I want to see patrons of Buc-ee’s subjected to any unsafe atmosphere.”
She said motorists will use roads in the area as cut-throughs to try to avoid the amount of traffic coming off Interstate 71 because of the rezone for commercial use or retail.
Laura Morris, of Lucas Road, said she too is concerned about traffic.
“It’s not that I’m so much opposed to growth and change but it just seems like a bad location,” she added.
Another resident who lives on Mansfield-Lucas Road said he is concerned for the water.
Andy Shaw, an engineer working on behalf of Buc-ee’s, said Buc-ee’s and other state agencies are being intentional about how they approach mitigating the traffic. “… And getting the water and sewer from one side of 71 to the other. How we minimize the impact to the environmentally sensitive areas, how we discharge storm water in a manner that doesn’t impact the adjacent properties that aren’t part of the development,” he added.
Shaw said this is step one and nothing happens without annexation.
“Our access to soil and water doesn’t happen without annexation,” he said.
The Buc-ee’s project will return to planning commission after May 19 for the site plan approval and conditional use permit.
The travel center itself will require about 35 acres at 2011 Lucas Road.
Buc-ee’s is a chain of convenience stores, gas stations and mega-marts known for their large size, clean bathrooms and beaver mascot, and stay open 24/7.
Madison and Mifflin township trustees have approved the annexation, as has the Richland County commissioners.
Mansfield Council will likely vote May 19 on final annexation approval as well as a development plan. If City Council approves the annexation May 19, it cannot be approved as an emergency, which means it could take 30 days after it is approved.
The rezoning petition was brought April 14 by Charles E. Ross, administrator of the Peter G. Ross Jr. estate, which owns the land in the townships.
Buc-ee’s must purchase the land. Then construction could begin this summer.
The first Buc-ee’s in Ohio opened April 6 in Huber Heights.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: City Planning Commission recommends Buc-ee’s rezone in 5-1 vote
Reporting by Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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