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Zoning condition stalls gas station
By TIM GRANT, Times Staff Writer
CARROLLWOOD -- There won't be any flashy signs or bright neon lights beckoning drivers to the Marathon Gas station under construction at W Village and S Village drives. County officials have ordered the company to halt construction at the site because of a zoning condition that requires the Village Corners shopping center to maintain a residential look. Before it burned two years ago, the gas station at the shopping center had a wooden canopy over its gas pumps. Marathon Gas obtained a permit in August to rebuild the gas station with a lighted canopy that would flash the company's name. But that permit was revoked recently when homeowners in Carrollwood Village alerted the county to a zoning approval 20 years ago that bars high-intensity commercial signs. "We put a lock on everything, because we are requiring them to put the canopy back the way it was," said Mike Allgire, a senior manager in Planning and Growth Management. Allgire said he doesn't believe the company acted improperly. "I don't think they were trying to pull a fast one," Allgire said. "I don't even believe the property owner was aware of the restriction. Basically they were going to do what every other gas station is doing." Located in the heart of Carrollwood Village, the shopping center is built in a European-style that blends with the neighborhood. All of its stores are covered by a wood roof. According to the site plan approved in 1983, "any significant alteration in the architecture or aesthetic character" of the shopping center must be approved by Planning and Growth Management. That restriction applies to the gas pump canopy, the shopping center roof and the front of the buildings. Carrollwood Village community activist John Miley said that if Marathon Gas tries to change or modify the zoning conditions, he would encourage homeowners to "boycott" the service station. Pauline Pappas, owner of Pappas Retail Leasing in St. Petersburg, is handling the deal for the shopping center's owner, Steve Maddox. She said the store, which will sell limited grocery items, beer and high-end wines, should have opened in September. Now she's unsure when that will happen. Pappas said Marathon Gas has had a lease on the convenience store since May. She said if the complications concerning the canopy aren't resolved, it could be a loss for the company and the community. "How sad that these people want to stop people who own property from using it," Pappas said. "It took so long to find a tenant there who is creditworthy. "The convenience store will be nothing but an asset for that community. Everything on that property will be brand new. How can you beat that?" -- Tim Grant can be reached at (813) 269-5311 or at rant@sptimes.com
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