Much to the dismay of nearby residents, the intersection of Welaunee Boulevard and Dempsey Mayo Road may soon house a brand-new Circle K gas station.
Approximately 12 neighbors voiced their concerns during the August 21 Tallahassee City Commission meeting. Many homeowners in the canopy neighborhood worry that a gas station will cause a number of unwanted issues in the area and feel it is unnecessary.
Residents have expressed concern over the proposed station’s potential health risks and potential for environmental damage, especially storm runoff, due to its proximity to residential areas.
Growth Management Director John Reddick responded to a request from Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey in 2021, saying that the neighborhood’s development plan should be changed to allow gas stations since it was in line with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and the city’s master strategy for expansion. After that, Circle K submitted a site plan application, which is the first stage in the permitting procedure, according to Reddick. He claimed that he could not provide additional details because the candidates or Circle K officials had not been in contact.
Even though Dailey clarified that city commissioners cannot refuse a proposal that complies with established regulations, Circle K would still need to obtain a few more permits before construction can begin.
In light of this, Dailey said that employees should investigate the environmental issues at each location before constructing a new Circle K in Tallahassee.
The Tallahassee Leon County planning board says, it was shocked when they found out residents were unhappy about the new gas station.
Neighbors also believed the empty property had been planned by the neighbors to become a town center of some kind. They had yet to anticipate the addition of a gas station.
They started to worry about it being open 24/7, generating light pollution and possibly introducing more crime to the area after learning it would house a petrol station.
Furthermore, according to online maps, there are already three convenience stores and gas stations on Capital Circle Northeast, about a mile from the development’s entrance, and another gas station just north of the area.
Officials from the city now say that they will investigate the matter more thoroughly before the project starts.
The Ghazvini family, well-known among Tallahassee developers, owns Premier Fine Homes, which operates in the proposed Circle K area. On Tuesday, the Ghazvinis did not reply to a request for comment.
Local resident John Miller said, “I honestly don’t understand why we need another gas station if we already have a few locally, especially because it’s the same company.”
Mayor Dailey added that he would like to gather Circle K representatives, developers and concerned citizens to explore potential compromises. He did not specify which ones those would be. At the end of the discussion, the mayor asked if Commissioner Curtis Richardson was interested in initiating a meeting with the involved parties.