Plan Commission votes to advance Kwik Trip

STEVENS POINT — The Plan Commission has approved conditional use permits to Kwik Trip after hours of public feedback and a split commission vote.
The commission heard hours of public feedback on Feb. 2, mostly regarding potential health concerns of the potential gas stations close proximity to a wellhead containing drinking water for Plover and Whiting residents. A similar hours-long public feedback occurred during the Jan. Plan Commission meeting, which left commissioners uncertain on a vote that pushed the decision to Feb.’s meeting.
Kwik Trip is looking for conditional use permits to operate a gas station, a car wash, and to construct a sign on the property of 3383 Hoover Road.
Residents were mostly concerned about the health risks if a gas leak were to occur, and the potential of the wellhead becoming contaminated. Other concerns included increased traffic, noise pollution, airborne exposure to benzene and its’ cancer risks, chemicals used in the car wash, and the loss of a vegetative buffer that once separated homes from the property.
Public speakers included a groundwater scientist, a land specialist for the University of Wisconsin, and several concerned neighbors to the property. All of whom voiced their opposition to the gas station being built on the Hoover Road property.

Kwik Trip representatives also spoke during the meeting. Alongside their environmental manager who spoke on the safety measure they are putting in place, such as double walled tanks, groundwater monitoring wells, and leak detection sensors, their vice president was also present. Vice President Scott Teigen said, “Our goal is to make our closest neighbors our best customers. We will do what we can. It doesn’t always work, but we will try.”
Prior to the commission’s vote of approval for the last conditional use permit, Mayor Mike Wiza addressed the Kwik Trip representatives directly, “You’ve heard the neighbors concerns. Some of the things they are asking for is not something we can do or enforce, but that doesn’t mean we don’t support it,” he said. Shortly after, the commission approved the final conditional use permit Kwik Trip was requesting.
Wiza continued later on, “These are very legitimate concerns. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out why we need more car washes but they still build them, so something’s working.”
The commission ultimately approved all conditional use permits Kwik Trip was seeking. In a 4-3 vote, this would allow them to build a gas station, two off-property signs, a car wash with hours limited to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the addition of two roads to enter the property.
The final decision will be made at the Common Council meeting on Feb. 16.