The Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 18 approved a conditional use permit and site plan for a Valvoline oil-change facility at the northwest corner of Pat Tillman Boulevard and 160 Third Avenue, voting 6-0 to approve case FS250143 subject to stipulations A through E.

Staff said the proposal would occupy the final pad in the Assante planned area development and would be a 2,080-square-foot building with 11 parking spaces, exceeding the code minimum of five. Trevor (planning staff) told commissioners the building is oriented north–south so service bay openings face away from the right of way and that landscaping would cover about 54% of the site versus the 15% minimum.

The project is subject to the Surprise Unified Development Code (SUDC) standards for vehicle-service/minor repair. Those standards, Trevor said, require that repairs occur within an enclosed building, prohibit outdoor storage and dismantling, and require screening for vehicles waiting for repair. Trevor told the commission that staff recommended approval subject to stipulations A through E.

At a neighborhood outreach meeting June 24, three people attended and raised questions about air pollution, vehicle queuing, parking and light. James Butchard, representing Valvoline corporate, answered operational questions at the commission hearing. Butchard said bay doors are “roughly about 10 foot wide or so or more,” and that, while he would generally discourage pulling a trailer through the bays, the site depth and turning geometry should allow a trailer to be accommodated if drivers swing wide enough. He said staff could ask customers to unhitch trailers when necessary.

Butchard described typical service times as “no more than roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on the service.” He also said the facility would use sealed, double-walled underground tanks with secondary containment, and that used-oil and waste materials are removed by a vendor “roughly every 2 weeks.”

No members of the public spoke at the commission hearing. After questions from commissioners, a motion to approve the conditional use permit and site plan passed on a 6-0 vote. The approval is subject to the listed stipulations; the transcript did not state any further administrative steps or council review for this matter.

Details from the staff presentation: the site lies within the Assante PAD with adjacent Pinnacle Peak Country Estates PAD to the east; pedestrian and vehicular connections tie into existing access points at 160 Third Avenue and Pat Tillman Boulevard. The applicant’s site plan shows vehicle circulation entering a north–south drive aisle with service bays on the east side of the building.

Commissioners’ discussion focused on operational questions raised at outreach (trailers, queuing and customer access) and on conformity with SUDC requirements for vehicle-service businesses.