Staff briefs commission on high concentration of fueling stations; commission asks for more regional data
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Summary
Staff told the Planning and Zoning Commission Weatherford has a relatively high concentration of fueling stations (35 counting recently approved sites) and recommended continuing to use conditional‑use permits instead of a radius restriction; commissioners asked staff for more data about stations within a broader radius and pump capacity.
City staff presented a summary of Weatherford’s existing fueling‑station and truck‑stop inventory and asked the Planning and Zoning Commission whether the city should pursue regulatory changes. The commission requested additional regional data and signaled preference for a case‑by‑case CUP approach rather than applying a blanket radius restriction.
Caleb Kintner, director of Development and Neighborhood Services, told commissioners staff counted 31 operational fueling stations within the city and four recently approved sites, bringing the total to 35. To put that number in context, staff compared Weatherford to other Texas cities with interstates and similar populations: Kerrville (population ~25,000) has 19 stations; Stephenville (21,000) has 14; Mineral Wells has 11; Burleson (50,000) has 28. Staff concluded Weatherford’s concentration is relatively high for its population.
Kintner said that legal and practical limits mean the city cannot categorically prohibit fueling stations; most peer cities use conditional‑use permits (CUPs) to review such uses case by case. Staff recommended retaining the CUP process rather than imposing a fixed radius around existing stations. Kintner offered to produce further information on fueling stations within a 10‑mile radius of the city and to add pump counts or other capacity measures to the dataset.
Commissioners discussed pros and cons of a radius approach. One commissioner said a radius is a “blunt instrument” that could prevent an otherwise suitable site from being considered, and several commissioners favored the more flexible CUP route. Commissioners also asked staff to report on the number of pumps at each station, the type of fueling (diesel vs. regular) and nearby stations outside the city limits that might serve Weatherford drivers.
Staff noted they had solicited data from convenience‑store trade groups and could expand the analysis to account for pump capacity and a 10‑mile outside‑city radius. The commission directed staff to bring back the additional information for a future meeting.
Why this matters: the city is experiencing growth and the commission seeks tools to balance commercial demand, traffic and future land‑use goals for corridors along I‑20 and Rick Williamson Memorial Highway.