ALEXANDRIA, Ky — The Alexandria Planning Commission approved a Wawa convenience store and gas station at the Southwest corner of Main Street and US 27 at its meeting Tuesday.
Wawa originated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is primarily located along the East Coast and Florida. It sets itself apart from other gas stations by offering freshly prepared-to-order food. It is also employee—family-owned, so they do not have any franchise locations.
“We always say we’re a restaurant that happens to sell fuel,” Wawa Regional Real Estate Manager Lisa Corpus said.
The 4.6-acre site is currently vacant. No zone change was required at the site, which is in a highway commercial zone that permits convenience stores and gas stations.
The location will have 50 regular parking spaces, three ADA spaces and one truck/oversized vehicle parking space. Some parking spaces will also have electric vehicle charging stations.
There will be 10 gas pumps on site, and the store will be open 24/7.
The store will also operate a drive-through pickup window for food, similar to LaRosa’s pickup window. There will be no loudspeaker or ordering at the window.
The applicant has purchased two parcels of land but only plans to develop one. The access points to both parcels will be on Main Street, which shares an access point with the Duke Energy substation, and the other will be a right-in, right-out off of US 27. A deceleration lane is required for US 27 to arrive in the parcel.
Part of the planning commission’s approval was that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet review a southbound acceleration lane to be considered at the exit to US 27.
“Traffic at certain points of the day, and it’s not all day every day, but at certain points of the day, it’s very, very heavy out there,” Alexandria Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Nick Reitman said. “It would help out, especially if you’re adding another facility to the site.”
Campbell County Planning and Zoning Director Cindy Minter said the commission’s concerns for an acceleration lane can be relayed to KYTC, who would work through the design.
“If they come back and say, ‘nope, it’s not safe to do that,’ they’ll tell us that,” Minter said. “But they normally are receptive to what the locals would like as well.”
The planning commission and Alexandria Mayor Andy Schabell pointed out that many people in Alexandria do not want another gas station.
“I don’t want another gas station in Alexandria,” Schabell said. “We don’t need another gas station. This is not, in my opinion, a gas station.”
Schabell said he visited a Wawa right outside Philadelphia last year after hearing rumblings that one might come to Campbell County. He said it was clean, efficient and well-staffed.
“This is more of a convenience store, which we don’t have a good convenience store around here,” he said. “UDF is pretty comparable, but I think this is going to have even more selections than UDF. I think it’ll be very welcome. The comments that I’ve heard so far, people against it are only people that haven’t been in a Wawa.”
Two residents spoke at the meeting to ask questions about the site plan, but no one spoke against the development.
Corpus pointed out some differences between Wawa and other convenience stores. Because the stores are employee—family-owned they receive bonuses and get enrolled in an employee stock ownership program.
The store will have roughly 40 employees, with 13-15 at the location during peak hours.
Corpus said they also have a program called Health, Hunger, Heroes that partners with places like children’s hospitals and the local American Red Cross. Corpus said that since the program started in 2014, Wawa has donated over $156 million.
There is also a program called Wawa Shares, which works with local schools and food banks to donate food that doesn’t pass their code time but is still viable to eat.
“We really try to become a staple in the community,” Corpus said. “All of your local people here to staff our store, they’ll become employee-owners and have employee retirement and a good career for them for the future. So, it’s kind of what sets us apart.”
Corpus said construction should begin in 2025.
This story originally appeared on linknky.com.
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