A gas station that has been serving Franconia for more than 50 years is due for an update, its owner says.
According to an application recently submitted to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, the Merrifield-based Petroleum Marketing Group (PMG) is looking to replace the existing BP Service Station at 6201 Franconia Road with a 4,650-square-foot convenience store and five fuel pumps (10 fueling positions) under a canopy.
“This gas station has served the neighborhood for over 50 years,” PMG said in its statement for justification for a special exception amendment. “As consumer preferences have evolved, the expectation is that a gas station will also have an associated convenience store. In order to continue serving the community, the owner is proposing to replace the existing BP service station with a convenience store and more fueling stations that will also integrate a number of site improvements and architectural improvements.”
The existing gas station was built in 1974, and the property was last assessed at $2.4 million in value, according to property records. The building currently has four fuel islands and a light vehicle repair building, which will all be demolished if the redevelopment is approved.
Expected to draw approximately 2,651 vehicle trips on an average weekday and employ up to 10 people, the new gas station and convenience store will result in an increase of around 851 daily trips, the application says.
“It is expected that the convenience store and fuel station will serve pass-by customers travelling along Franconia Road and Grovedale Drive,” land use attorney David Gill wrote in a statement for PMG’s application.
As part of the redevelopment, the property owner says it will reduce access to the site from Franconia and Grovedale to one curb cut each. Sidewalks on both roads would also be widened from 3.5 feet to 5 feet with the addition of ADA-compliant curb ramps and 10-foot-wide landscaping buffers separating them from the gas station pavement.
“This proposal is a unique opportunity to allow a long-standing business to adapt to changing market conditions in order to continue serving the surrounding community,” Gill wrote. “The proposal will provide a convenience store use that will serve the needs of motorists, while improving the traffic operations and safety of the site.”
No change of ownership or branding was announced in the application, which is currently being reviewed by county staff but hasn’t been formally accepted yet.
Image via Google Maps
