SELMA – A new convenience store will be built next to a roundabout, something nearby residents don’t want to see. In a 6-to-1 vote, Johnston County Commissioners approved a rezoning petition allowing for construction of a convenience store on the southwest side of a roundabout on Highway 42 East at Highway 39 North. The 3 acre site (highlighted in red below) is currently being used as farm land.
Amin Saleh of Kenly, owner of Sheets 1 LLC, petitioned commissioners to rezone the property from Residential-Agriculture to Community Business-Conditional Zoning (CB-CZ). Mr. Saleh was represented at the June 6 public hearing by Selma attorney Chip Hewett. Mr. Hewett said the area is rural but growth is coming to it.
“It’s a good spot to have a gas station. If you are going to have a commercial area it makes senses… It is in a decent area to have a gas station here,” Mr. Hewett told commissioners.
Tim Narron who lives nearby spoke in favor of the rezoning. Narron said once you leave Mudcat Stadium and drive to Selma there isn’t a convenience store in operation on Highway 39, other than a store that caught fire and is in the process of being rebuilt. “I am all for it.”
Narron said residents have to drive to Flowers Plantation or Stancil’s Chapel to get fuel. A nearby store, he said, would be nice.
Brenda Creech spoke in opposition. She presented a petition signed by 46 people opposing the business. Creech said she was not against a convenience store but was against the crime that goes along with it.
Commissioner Tony Braswell, who operates a convenience store in Four Oaks questioned Ms. Creech about her definition of crime. Braswell said crime at a convenience store is an exception and not the rule. “I can’t find a reason not to support it.”
Commissioner Ted Godwin said he was concerned about cars coming off the roundabout and not having a safe place to enter and exit the convenience store parking lot. He said if there was a turn light it might mitigate some of his concern. Godwin added, “If it was fully accepted in the community I would support it. My concern is the 46 residents right here,” referencing the petition.
In a motion by Commissioner Fred Smith and seconded by Commissioner Braswell, the convenience store was approved 6-to-1. Commissioner Godwin voted against the rezoning request.
The board did place 11 conditions on the rezoning including reducing the hours of operation from 6:00am until 10:00pm seven days a week instead of an 11:00pm closing time. The board also prohibited auto repair services, banned overnight parking, required a landscape buffer, and engineered lightning as not to shine onto adjacent properties.
Just wondering if the applied “conditions” included minimum distances from the roundabout for any/all entrances to this property/store? This would help minimize any traffic problems related to the distance of this location from the roundabout (a VALID concern). Otherwise, no problem with this at all.
I’m glad to see so much growth in this area, reminds me of home.
And where might that be, DanM? Let me guess, you will say somewhere up North, or Cali perhaps. But are you really? I mean, if life was so wonderful, (as you’ve made out in this and other post), back “home”, what could North Carolina and more importantly Johnston County have to offer someone such as yourself? Moreover, what do you gain from your bogus comments. A little tingle down south? Or do you puff your chest out and think you’ve achieved something? You are just one more person with too much time on your hands, and your head stuck in a very dark and smelly orifice. If your answer was indeed up North you are well acquainted with dark and smelly. I look forward to reading more of your wisdom.
If it is going to be a Sheetz, they usually have clean stores and usually don’t attract too many people of questionable intentions. Other station chains seem to carry that reputation more than Sheetz. If I lived there, I wouldn’t be too opposed to it, but I definitely see where locals do oppose though. Living in Raleigh is proof enough as to why I hate NC’s idea of progress sometimes.
Commissioners not listening to residents again, imagine that!
Not surprising. The county commissioners are clueless as to what their constituents think or feel. They pretend they care, but obviously big corp is absolutely more important than the little man. NeverMind the 2 small convenient stores 5 miles up the road. They’ll fall destitute like so many other mom and pop places. Disgusting.
There is already 2 gas stations on 42 east ..Brewers and Shop and go..just a few miles east away from the roundabout
Wonder who was padding the commissioners pockets this time
I live on 39 toward Z town and I feel this is necessary for the area. Many intersections of major arteries like 39 and 42 have at least something at them. It will be really nice to have a decent gas station on the path of my daily commute, especially during one of those rare times I forget to fill up the night before
This is going to suck for Brewers! Just about to open their new store and now a Sheetz being built 2.7 miles away! Same for whoever is rebuilding the station on 39. Do we need another gas station out here? No, these other businesses are probably going to fail trying to compete with Sheetz. I just hope this Sheetz builds in some EV charging like some of the others.
Mr Braswell knows crime.
Can’t wait to see how many wrecks there will be once there is a sheets there. I thought a round about was to keep traffic flowing.