Site plan reviews for a new McDonald’s and a Big 5 Sporting Goods store survived an incomplete presentation from property developer Josh Skarsgard en route to approval from the Española Planning and Zoning Commission.
Skarsgard went into the Feb. 13 meeting in good standing with the Commission because he agreed to repave and add sidewalks to Carr Lane when he received approval for the Murphy Oil gas station last year.
He said Murphy Oil was pleased with the gas station’s performance and economic development opportunities were beginning to pile up.
“We believe in this market,” he said. “Retailers want to come to Española and as a result, we are investing in Española.”
Skarsgard said the new McDonald’s would be located at 1401 North Riverside Drive, while the Big 5 would be next door at 601 Silkey Way.
He said the features of the new McDonald’s would be a marked improvement over Española’s current location, which he said is the highest-grossing franchise in the state according to City Development Review Team minutes. New features include a modern design and a two-lane drive-thru to combat parking lot congestion.
Under Skarsgard’s vision, a Big 5 would also offer improvement to local consumers.
“There’s a lot of youth sports in Española and unfortunately, the only place to buy sporting goods is at Wal-Mart,” Skarsgard said. “I think this community deserves better sporting good retail opportunities.”
The projects received support from local community members as well.
“Española needs development,” Silkey Road resident Barbara Akes said. “We need gross receipts tax to stay in this area. We don’t need to be driving into Santa Fe any longer.”
Despite the early good will, Skarsgard’s presentation began to fall apart when he couldn’t provide the Commission with properly-sized maps.
“What I have in front of me is something I can’t read,” Planning and Zoning Commissioner Dick Beaudoin said. “It doesn’t even address any of the criteria in that section (development plan approval) for us to even give this thing a fair hearing.”
After Commission Chair Anissa Martinez called a 10-minute recess while Planning and Zoning Director Russell Naranjo and Planning Technician Larry Valdez went to City Hall to print out scale maps, the Commissioners continued to voice concerns.
Commissioner Amrit Khalsa said the lots needed to be consolidated, or else Skarsgard would have to seek variances for the businesses’ signs and drainage. Commission Vice Chair Erle Wright didn’t like the drainage plan itself, saying the drainage flow could create slippery driving conditions.
“Anybody who’s been around here and who’s been through a heavy rainstorm, has had to go through the Walgreens parking lot,” Wright said. “It’s kind of like Lake Walgreens when it rains. That’s what happens when there’s a poorly designed drainage plan. They have a retention pond on site. It doesn’t work because it isn’t grated properly.”
After continuous debate between Skarsgard and the Commission, the Commission approved the site plan review with seven conditions of approval:
• Lot consolidation between McDonald’s and Big 5
• The construction of a fire hydrant between the buildings
• An underground drainage system leading to the retention pond
• A master sign plan
• A landscape plan
• A department traffic impact study and
• The construction of a grease trap
The Commission approved the site plan review with a 6-1 vote, with Beaudoin voting against.
Beaudoin unhappy with presentation
After Skarsgard left, Beaudoin expressed his frustration with staff over letting incomplete development plans come before the Commission.
“It’s a dead horse that I’m still beating,” Beaudoin said. “When these people come before us there’s a set of rules — a scale, stamped, set of drawings. What about that is an issue? If they can’t come before us with their homework done, I personally don’t want to waste my time. My horse is still dead.”
Khalsa said the Commission needed to be more open-minded, especially when economic development is involved.
Naranjo defended himself and his staff, saying the Commission needed to utilize the conditions of approval as a tool for projects like the one presented.