NE Lacey residents plan to demonstrate at site of proposed store with gas pumps
Update: The correct project number for Meridian Market and Gas is 20-310.
Some northeast Lacey residents say they plan to demonstrate this Saturday in opposition to a proposed convenience store with gas pumps at Campus Glen Drive and Willamette Drive.
Chris Porrazzo, who intends to be there 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, said she and others have concerns about traffic, the safety of a gas station in a residential area, and pollutants. She also questions the need for more fuel when there already are gas stations in the area.
“It just doesn’t fit in this residential community,” she said.
The proposal, which is under review, is called Meridian Market and Gas. Northwest Investors LLC of Federal Way plans to construct a 4,000-square-foot neighborhood market with a 1,000-square-foot half-story office space above it, as well as four fueling islands and a 4,000-square-foot retail/office building.
Porrazzo and others first learned of the proposal last year and began writing letters of concern to the city, she said. Typically when a new development is proposed, a sign is posted at the site that explains what’s under consideration. When that sign was removed, Porrazzo and others thought the proposal had died. But when she learned that it was still under city review, she redoubled her efforts to oppose the project.
Porrazzo and other volunteers knocked on more than 400 doors last weekend and another 50-60 after that, she said. She estimated that 75 percent of the people she talked to also thought the proposal had been abandoned after the sign was removed.
“We’re hoping for a big turnout,” she said of Saturday’s event.
This isn’t the first time there has been public outcry about the proposal. An online petition created via the website Change.org has collected more than 600 signatures in opposition to the proposal. It identifies 33 concerns, including a dangerous intersection made worse.
“The proposed intersection is already insane at times, especially with Salish (Middle) School so close by,” the post reads.
The developer, according to city information, says the store is going to be a lot more than a convenience store.
“The facility will be state of the art, designed to allow it to meticulously appear and feel as if it has always been a part of the neighborhood,” a narrative of the proposal reads. “A great example of our vision is the Metropolitan Market in Tacoma. Meridian Market, while on a smaller scale, will offer similar merchandise and provide seating for customers looking for a place to unwind with a coffee, or grab some lunch. Meridian Market will offer locally sourced goods from farms, bakeries, and meat shops.”
Lacey senior planner Samra Seymour sent an email to residents on Wednesday, updating them about the project, including that a public hearing before the hearings examiner in set for early April.
To receive notice of the hearing, send an email to Samra Seymour at Sseymour@ci.lacey.wa.us and reference project number 20-310, or call the city’s Community Development Department at 360-491-5642 and ask to be put on a mailing list.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
