Commission Approves Casey’s Store

SITE TO BE LOCATED AT ANGUS LANE AND WEST MAIN STREET

FARMINGTON — A new Casey’s General Store is coming to town and will be located at the southwest corner of Angus Lane and West Main Street.

The Farmington Planning Commission on Nov. 26 approved the large scale development plan for the gas station and also approved a setback variance for construction. Casey’s will be located on 1.11 acres and includes property at 125 Angus Lane, 141 Angus Lane and a strip of vacant land behind both addresses.

City ordinance requires a 50- foot front setback. In a letter to the planning commission, Geoffrey Bates with Bates and Associates engineering firm requested a 34-foot setback off Angus and a 28- foot setback off Main. His letter explained that a portion of the canopy over the pumps and the east side of the building would extend into the required 50foot setback zone.

Commissioner Judy Horne voted for the setback variances and the large scale development plan but said she still has some concerns about the development.

“It’s the same old story when commercial business is coming in next to a neighborhood,” Horne said. “I want to be absolutely, positively sure that they will do everything they can to protect the neighborhood.”

Horne said her two concerns are that water drainage will not affect houses on Angus Lane and that site plans will include some type of barrier to hide the back of the building.

Angus Lane has had flooding problems in the past and Horne said she does not want that to happen in the future because of the new store.

She said that city engineer Chris Brackett with Mc Goodwin, Williams and Yates in Fayetteville assured her at the commission meeting that water would not run-off onto Angus.

Brackett said the site will drain into a detention pond in the northeast corner of the lot and from the detention pond, water will go into the existing drainage on U.S. 62.

Horne said she asked Bates to encourage the developer to plant trees or shrubs on the back side of the development to protect the view of people living behind the gas station. Horne is working on a landscape ordinance for the city but until one is adopted, the city cannot require developers to landscape their businesses, only ask nicely.

“I wanted to have assurances from the developer that they would put a screen on the back of the property,” Horne said. “Sometimes after a while, businesses let the back of their buildings run down. I want to be sure to encourage them to provide landscaping to make it nice and attractive.”

Bates said the company has agreed to put in landscaping at the city’s request.

The site plan approved by the commission shows the store will have six fuel pumps with a 66-foot by 84foot canopy over the pumps. The building is located at the back of the property and will have 4,223 square feet.

The store’s original large scale development plan showed that eight trees would be saved and another eight trees would be removed during construction. The plan approved by the planning commission, however, shows that almost all the trees on the site will be removed. This plan shows that 19 trees will be taken out and one tree saved.

Bates said he tried his best to save the trees but couldn’t because of the space and grading of the property.

Casey’s General Store is purchasing the property on Angus Lane from Eagle Holdings and the strip of vacant land from the Phillips family. Bates said he thinks Casey’s will close the real estate deal in late December and construction will start sometime in January.

According to Casey’s website, the store provides a variety of menu items, including specialty pizzas, breakfast choices, a bakery, sandwiches and appetizers.