By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
A new gas station and convenience store have been proposed on a prominent Yukon corner.
The Yukon Planning Commission, at its Nov. 9th meeting inside the Centennial Building, recommended approval of a final plat for the Yukon Angle development at 1010 Garth Brooks Blvd.
Baker First Commercial Real Estate is developing the Yukon Angle site, on the northwest corner of Vandament and Garth Brooks Boulevard.
The applicant is seeking City of Yukon approval to allow development of a “12-fueling position gasoline/service station with a convenience market.” The property is zoned C-3 (restricted commercial district).
The final plat, which includes four lots on about six acres, is a replat of First National Office Park.
“We’ve come up with a couple real quality buyers for these outparcels,” applicant Rod Baker told planning commissioners.
The developer made adjustments to the preliminary plat filed a few years ago, pushing back the building setback 25 feet from Garth Brooks Boulevard and expanding the lot on the north end.
“We have one buyer that’s contracted for the entire frontage along Vandament and another buyer for the lot at the north end,” Baker shared.
The Yukon Angle final plat application is consistent with Yukon’s Comprehensive Plan and the “character of the area”, according to city planner Cindy Wright.
“The proposed service station is permitted in the existing zoning category and will be located on Lot 1 as denoted on the Yukon Angle Final Plat,” Wright wrote in a staff report to planning commissioners.
“The Comprehensive Plan designates this site for high intensity commercial development, and immediately surrounding properties are designated for lower intensity commercial.”
The Yukon City Council will consider the Yukon Angle final plat at an upcoming meeting.
The commercial property previously housed an automobile dealership and bank.
TRAFFIC STUDY
A traffic impact study was prepared by Traffic Engineering Consultants for the proposed gas station/convenience store project.
“The report concluded the level of service for the existing Vandament Avenue and Garth Brooks Boulevard intersection will remain the same,” city engineer Robbie Williams wrote in a memo.
The traffic study recommends a proposed full-access driveway on Vandament Avenue be “centered” with the commercial drive serving Wal-mart across the street – which has more traffic than the Bank of Oklahoma drive.
This alignment “would reduce vehicular turning conflicts,” according to the report.
“(N)o traffic control or geometric roadway improvements are necessary for traffic to operate at an acceptable level-of-service both now and throughout the future design year.”
The analysis indicates that 60% of traffic to the proposed gas station is traffic that would “pass by” the location.
The Yukon Angle developer voluntarily moved two Garth Brooks Boulevard driveways previously to improve traffic flow, Baker told commissioners.
The new business is expected to be a 24-hour operation, according to Yukon Development Services Director Mitchell Hort.
“They are required to have shields on their lights that does not affect any residential area,” Hort said. “If there’s a cast of light that’s affecting residents, say to the north and west, they will have to take that into consideration in the design.”
