CIRCLEVILLE – After a mass exit of the members from the newly formed BZA group, BZA has rallied pulled in new members, and forged forward with items still left on the table.
BZA met on Monday and during a zoom, the meeting approved of the expansion of the 35-year-old gas station Duke and Duchess owned by Englefield oil company. The gas station located at 235 East Main street will now be able to start construction of expanding the gas station into a neighboring commercial property expanding the store.
The decision of allowing the variance to expand came with some pushback from local Uptown Circleville members and one councilwoman. Most of the arguments against expansion were concerned about the look of the gas station and how it fits into the historical district that it sits close to, light pollution in the area, crime at the gas station, and overall plan to let a non-conforming entity expand in an area that’s not the overall plan for the area. More on this here: http://www.sciotopost.com/circleville-council-entities-argue-future-duke-dutchess/
Circleville Mayor Don Mcllroy went on record of saying that the gas station has been there for 35 years and will continue to operate because it is a successful business in that location. He said that the question was simple to do we want it to exist how it is or let it improve?
Englefield Oil, Duke, and Duchess said the expansion would start this spring, new amenities would be a larger footprint store that would carry more fresh foods, more and newer gas pumps with better lighting, better surveillance, and a change in curb cuts as a safety feature.
