Smith's plans fuel center

Smith’s Food and Drug in Green River will likely see a new gas station kiosk built near the long-running grocery store.

The first step of realizing this plan hinges on a zone change on land currently occupied by the United Pentecostal Church, which would be demolished to build the fuel center. The land is currently zoned as B-2, downtown business, which excludes gas stations.

The proposal would rezone the land to B-1 general business zoning, which requires approval from the Green River City Council.

An ordinance to rezone the land was removed from the Council’s agenda Tuesday night because documents from the church were not provided to the city in time for the meeting. The zone change was approved unanimously by the city’s planning and zoning commission.

Rick Magness, a representative of the engineering firm Anderson Wahlen & Associates in Salt Lake City, said his company has worked on a number of similar projects for Smith’s and said the fuel center will become a tax generator for the city, something the church isn’t providing the city currently.

He also said the zone change will help clean up the zoning for the property because the parcel the church is on has split zoning between B-1 and B-2. He also said the parcel of land to the north of the center will be sold to the adjacent property owner. He said the fuel center will be open 24 hours. He said the centers typically don’t generate traffic because they capture existing traffic at the store as people fuel their vehicles after buying groceries.

During the Council meeting, Councilman Gary Killpack questioned the logic of placing a fuel center so close to the Bridger Avenue Loaf N’ Jug, which he assumed was operated by Smith’s parent company, Kroger.

Magness said Smith’s was no longer involved with the company aside from Loaf N’ Jug recognizing Smith’s fuel rewards program.

The ordinance will need to pass three readings by the council before the zone change is approved.