Planning commission approves QuikTrip plat, rejects multi-family plan

The Sallisaw Planning Commission has approved a preliminary plat presentation for QuikTrip, which will build a travel plaza at I-40 and U.S. 59 where the former Sallisaw Travel Center (Valero) and Olde Feed Barn were located. LYNN ADAMS | TIMES

The Sallisaw Planning Commission at its Tuesday monthly meeting approved the first steps clearing the way for the construction of a new QuikTrip, but sent Josh Bailey back to the drawing board for modifications to his proposed multi-unit housing addition adjacent to Jay Reynolds Park.

The commissioners approved a preliminary plat for property at I-40 and U.S. 59 for the construction of QuikTrip No. 7017. The convenience store is planned for 1504 W. Lenington Road. Construction plans call for QuikTrip to remove two existing structures — the former Sallisaw Travel Center (Valero) and Olde Feed Barn. One of the structures is on a platted subdivision, a plat that city commissioners must vacate at a future meeting.

QuikTrip, often shortened to QT, is a convenience store chain based in Tulsa, with more than 1,000 stores in 16 states. QuikTrip stores in Oklahoma are almost exclusively in the Tulsa metro area, with Bartlesville being the farthest north, and Muskogee currently the farthest southeast. When the newest store opens in Sallisaw in late 2024 or early 2025, it will be the farthest east (and south) Oklahoma location.

But when it came to a proposed multi-family housing project by JMBailey Properties, the planning commission found several obstacles that need to be overcome before approval can be granted.

The planning board was asked to consider seven lots in the Fairview Addition, rezoning the property from Residence District (R-2) to High Density Housing District (RT2), to allow Bailey to build 20 units on seven lots south of East Turner Avenue, which is situated at the west end of Jay Reynolds Park.

In presenting the request for rezoning, Sallisaw code inspector Chris Carter explained to the board that the RT-2 designation, and what Bailey’s plan for multiple homes falls under, is the city’s “tiny home ordinance.”

The biggest stumbling block for the commission’s green light for the 20 units, which Carter says will be about 600 square feet each and are expected to be “mostly for elderly,” is sufficient parking.

City ordinances mandate two parking spaces per unit, which in itself is a barrier to the commission giving its approval.

“He has to have two parking spots for each unit. So with the 20 units that he’s wanting to do, with his proposal, he does not have enough parking. With the 20 structures he has [proposed], he only has enough room to put 24 parking spots,” Carter told the board.

“With the drawing I’ve got, if he loses the first two lots, he could have 40 parking spots. But at that point, I believe it was only 16 houses he can build,” Carter explained. The board said such a change seems “more reasonable” to them based on the required number of parking spots.

“I think we probably do need a little bit more information,” said planning commission chair Tim Brown. “And I think he needs to present it with the expanded parking lot, because, automatically, we can’t approve it the way it’s currently proposed.

“So I think he needs to go to probably 16 units with the bigger parking lot. With the one picture we’ve got right now, I think that people are a little bit hesitant because we just can’t figure out what he’s doing,” Brown said.

“You guys have the final say on this layout. You can tell him, this is the way he’s gonna do it. So if you see something that you like or that you don’t like, this is something that we can have him do,” Carter reminded the commissioners.

“If you guys want more information, that’s something we can do. Wanna see a picture of how cute the house is, we can ask for that as well.

“This is the one zoning that you guys get to set the standard. Basically, if you don’t like his design, you get to tell him how he’s going to design it. That is the benefit of this type of zoning,” Carter told the commissioners.

Brown agreed. “More than likely, we do like what he’s proposing, in general, but it’s one of those things he’s gonna have to get it kind of tightened up. I think whatever he’s gonna use it for, I think it’s probably going to be needed. But giving him a blanket approval, I think is not something that everybody’s comfortable with,” Brown said.

“I think I’d feel more comfortable with him coming back to us — we give him the feedback on: ‘This is, for starters, how we would rezone it.’ I don’t want to dictate to him exactly how he’s going to do it, but I want to tell him, ‘These are the problems that we’re finding, and we’re not ready to consider it until you get it within these parameters.’ And give use enough information so, that way, everybody at least feels comfortable to say yes or no. We need to know as much information, because there’s a lot of unknowns right now.

“But, ultimately, I think it’s probably going to be something that will benefit the city,” Brown said.

Carter will relay the planning commission’s wishes to Bailey, and ask him to present his revisions at a future meeting. The board meets next on March 5.