Maricopa’s Planning and Zoning Commission last night did not approve a rezoning request for the proposed Terrible’s gas station, convenience store and car wash at Bowlin and Porter Roads. It was a more polarized vote than has been seen in years in the city. 

The zoning board voted 3-3 on a motion to approve the request, with Chair James Singleton, Vice Chair Alfonso Juarez and Commissioner Ted Yocum voting yes. Commissioners Bill Robertson, Robert Klob and Maurice Thomas voted against the motion. 

Commissioner Robert Brems, who would have been the tiebreaker, was absent. The motion to approve the request failed. 

Developers for the Las Vegas-based chain seeking to expand into Central Arizona for the first time said they wanted to rezone the parcel to from neighborhood commercial to general commercial to “permit the proposed car wash use on the site,” according to a staff report that recommended the rezoning.  

That designation would have allowed the business to expand its service area from a 1½- to a 5-mile radius and allow it to construct the car wash. While the gas station and convenience store face no pre-construction zoning hurdles, the car wash is now up in the air, representing a small win for area residents who spoke against the development. 

Neighbors’ plea: ‘Consider another location’ 

Last month, city staff received four letters from residents who opposed the project. The letters centered on fears the gas station would worsen traffic, pollution and crime, fears that were echoed by three residents who spoke during a call to the public last night.  

Glennwilde resident Ron Angerame said he was concerned that his sense of peace and the views from his property would be impacted by the gas station’s construction.  

“It’s hard to imagine sitting in your backyard to enjoy the serenity of your home while seeing a sign that says ‘terrible,’” he said. “Please have Terrible’s consider another location.” 

Brittany Pisola, also of Glennwilde, said she was worried about the safety of schoolchildren commuting in the area and drivers not paying attention. Two elementary schoolers were hospitalized after being hit by a car in that neighborhood recently. 

“I’m worried that people won’t know how to use the entrances and exits that they proposed for Terrible’s because they don’t know how to use them at Circle K,” Pisola said. 

Former Maricopa mayoral candidate Leon Potter was worried about introducing heavy traffic to an intersection less than ¼ mile from two schools.  

“I understand the change in the zoning is to expand the radius area that the property would serve to 5 miles. Regarding the prior concerns that have been shared with people coming from outside [our neighborhood] driving to that particular area, including the car wash, I think it’s an extra hazard given the schools and our traffic that we already have on Porter,” Potter said. 

Rezoning ‘this piece of dirt’ 

Though Singleton acknowledged the complaints, he reminded residents the issue at hand was “purely the rezoning of this piece of dirt.” 

“Currently there’s nothing stopping the developer from doing that as it sits. It’s just a [re]zoning because of a car wash,” he said. “They want to add a car wash, so we’re not even talking necessarily about an issue with a gas station being too tall, too bright.” 

Phoenix-based Archicon architect Mitchell Mastrin, who is associated with the project, emphasized the point. 

“We are zoned already for the fuel and the convenience store. So, the only thing that we are looking for is to be able to put a car wash and that’s it,” Mastin said.   

The vote nearly passed 

Robertson admitted he struggled with his decision to vote against the request. 

“I don’t like the location, I do think it adds traffic and safety concerns, but I also understand … this is going to develop anyway somehow by someone into commercial operation,” he said. 

He added that no matter the result of the vote, “it’s going to be developed by somebody.” 

“If we declare it not to be fit for that location, they may decide, ‘Well, we’ll leave the car wash out, but we’re still going to go with 20 gas pumps and the lights and everything else,’” Robertson said. 

Klob said “there’s nothing any of us, anything the city can do to stop” the development of a gas station on that corner.  

“What we’re here to talk about is the land use of the rezoning only and not some of the fundamental challenges of the project itself,” Klob said. “Terrible’s has the right, if they had building permits today, they have the right to start construction tomorrow on that. Nothing that happens tonight or in the future can change that.” 

Thomas cited the “noise factor” associated with the car wash’s turbo dryer in swaying his vote against the request.  

Yocum, however, said he was more influenced by “the greater good” than his personal feelings about how his own vistas may be spoiled by development.  

He asked, rhetorically: “Am I going to refuse their building those apartments because it interferes with my view or is it going to benefit the other … 50,000 people of the city?”