The City of Pella Planning and Zoning Commission will review the site plan for a potential Casey’s General Store location at their meeting tonight.

Casey’s intends to build a new store at the corner of Main and Union Streets in Pella. Casey’s staff has been meeting with city officials and applying for permits to city boards since a variance request was denied by the Board of Adjustment in December.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will review access points, parking spaces, and landscaping proposals. The Community Development Committee finalized Design Permit approval at their February 17th meeting.

City Administrator Mike Nardini told KNIA/KRLS on Friday if the site plan is conditionally approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Pella City Council would have to amend the city’s comprehensive plan to fully allow Casey’s to build. There is no timeline currently set, pending action from the commission.

Mayor Jim Mueller and other council members responded to citizens living in the neighborhood at the second November 2015 meeting, saying the council would not be able to get involved at that time.

Community members have voiced concerns at a number of council meetings over the past four months, most recently on February 2nd. Dozens of citizens also attended the Board of Adjustment meeting in December in opposition to the new store.

Many are worried about its proximity to a residential zone, it’s location in a possible historic district, how it would fit into the current gateway corridor ordinance, and how it currently does not conform to the comprehensive plan approved in 2014.

The land, according to city officials, is properly zoned for the use. The city council has previously stated they will not consider rezoning the property, citing they typically change zoning uses when the property owner makes the request.

Vice President of Finance at Casey’s Brian Johnson believes the organization has been responding to concerns from nearby residents by trying to work closely with city officials to ensure a quality building will be placed at the site.

“We absolutely listen to the community, we want to be good neighbors like we have been for the past 25 plus years we’ve been in town,” he said in an early February interview. “For us, we feel like the architecture drawings and designs we have in place absolutely fit in with the look and feel of Pella.”

Casey’s plans to close their two downtown stores and the location at Oskaloosa Street if the new facility is complete.

City staff’s proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission is that they either conditionally approve the site plan until the proposed development is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, or table the action item until the commission and Pella City Council address any necessary changes.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Pella Community Center Auditorium.