Owners of Quicklee’s Convenience Stores have their eyes on the former site of the Bob Evans Restaurant at 204 Oak St. for a convenience store with a retail fuel station.
The City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee last week reviewed the sketch plan submitted by Patricia Bittar, director of land development projects for Quicklee’s, which has about two dozen stores/retail fuel locations – mostly in Livingston and Monroe counties.
“Right now, the site plan looks favorable. It fits really nice there, you know, with the Thruway exiting,” PDC Chair Duane Preston said.
According to a letter from Bittar to City Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall, the proposed project involves converting the existing 3,771 square-foot building into two sections: 2,700-plus square feet for the convenience store and the remaining 1,000-plus square feet for a “quick service restaurant partner with a drive-thru window.”
Additional aspects of the site modification plan are as follows:
- The 12-foot wide drive-thru lane will be situated along the east and north building walls, with a 13-foot wide escape lane adjacent to it;
- The fueling area will be placed south of the existing structure, and will feature four fuel pumps under a 48-foot by 48-foot canopy;
- Some of the existing concrete curb and asphalt pavement will be removed, and will be relocated on the site;
- The existing curb cut onto Noonan Drive and the access drive along the east edge of the site will be maintained, while a right-out only curb cut, 12 feet in width, is proposed along the west edge of the site, connecting to Oak Street (Route 98);
- Parking spaces would be reduced from 57 to 40, with sections of the existing parking area to be converted to green space. The company would need an area variance due to the fact that 68 parking spaces are required in that amount of space.
- The existing site lighting on the building and in the parking area will be maintained, and lights will be added to the fuel pumps’ canopy.
Preston said the PDC is not thrilled about the right turn only idea onto Oak Street, so close to the Thruway on-ramp.
“We had a couple concerns about an exit onto the (New York State) DOT (Department of Transportation) area going into the Thruway,” he said. “Obviously, we’re not in favor of that because if a car … gets in the wrong lane and exits to the right, they’re right in the Thruway entrance and then, you would foresee a situation where someone might turn to do a U-turn and get into an accident.”
He said he did like that the location has only four gas pumps and a drive-thru “for some fast food for people (coming) off the Thruway.”
A second area variance would be required since the store is located within 500 feet of a public entrance to a church (Emmanuel Baptist at 190 Oak St.).
The district is zoned Commercial, so the convenience store/gas station would be an acceptable use.
According to Quicklee’s website, the corporation has been owned and operated by the Bruckel family of Avon since 1995, with its business plan focused on combination stores featuring fast food, car washes and fuel stations.
One of its most recent stores is a travel center off of I-390 South, featuring a fully stocked convenience store, car wash, Dunkin’ Donuts and Calabresella's New York Style Deli, along with a truck stop equipped with a diesel mechanic shop, overnight parking, showers and laundry.
