Developer plans Fruitville Road Wawa

More than 18 months after it first filed documents with the city, a developer is once again moving ahead with plans for a Wawa near Fruitville Road and Lime Avenue.

On Jan. 23, representatives for JBCC Development submitted preliminary plans to build a Wawa on a 1.82-acre site near 2295 Fruitville Road. The proposal includes a 5,600-square-foot convenience store, six gas pumps and 23 parking spaces.

As part of the city’s development review process, land use consultant Don Neu appeared on behalf of JBCC Development at a community workshop on Monday. Neu described the project as relatively straightforward, continuing Wawa’s expansion in the region. The first Sarasota County Wawa opened in June 2016 at 3703 N. Washington Blvd.

“It’s a pretty typical store,” Neu said. “They want to be in this market more.”

Neu argued the proposal would improve properties that are largely devoid of active businesses. The Autohaus of Sarasota repair shop and Gator Auto Sales currently occupy a portion of the land where the Wawa would be built.

“The site, in my opinion, does need to be redeveloped, somehow,” Neu said. “It’s got old warehouses and old parked cars on it.”

Madonna Sullivan, a resident of the nearby Park East neighborhood, agreed with Neu’s assessment.

“This is just such a complete and total upgrade on the property,” Sullivan said.

A group of area business owners appeared at Monday’s workshop to raise questions about the proposal. Those who expressed concern about the project included representatives from nearby gas stations and convenience stores, including the 7-Eleven at 10 S. Lime Ave.

Those business owners questioned the impact the proposed Wawa would have on traffic and drainage in the area. Neu said the project would have to comply with all city regulations regarding those two issues.

Neu also said the developers have already conducted a preliminary traffic study with the Florida Department of Transportation to get permission for entry and exit points along Fruitville, a state-controlled road.

After the meeting, the business owners said their opposition was also tied to competitive concerns.

“Wawa usually moves in and pretty much wipes out the competition,” said 7-Eleven owner Greg Best.

Although the property is already zoned to allow for a gas station, the developer must obtain two minor conditional-use permits from the city to build the convenience store and the gas pumps. The Planning Board will need to approve the proposal before the project can proceed. Neu said it could take up to six months to get through the development review process.

JBCC Development is a partnership between developer Jim Bridges, of Jebco Ventures, and Clint Conway, a senior investment adviser with Sperry Van Ness. The group first submitted plans for the Fruitville Road Wawa in July 2016.  

Despite the criticism at Monday’s workshop, Neu reiterated his belief that the proposal would benefit the city.

“I think everybody was on the same page that that parcel was in dire need of redevelopment,” Neu said. “It’s a very unproductive parcel with the abandoned buildings.”