Council Denies Annexation

Weiser city councilmembers on Monday denied a request to annex into the city a 4.39-acre parcel of land where Maverik, Inc. intended to build a new convenience store and fueling station.

 The council denied the annexation in a 4-2 vote, in addition to the landowner’s request for a C-3 zoning designation that, under city code, provides, “activities of a service nature which are more intensive in use than those permitted in other commercial zones and which are semi-industrial in character.”

 The sale of the land, currently owned by David J. Toussaint, was purportedly contingent on the property’s annexation and zoning designation.

 Maverik representatives did not attend the meeting and were not available following Monday’s decision. The city’s planning and zoning commission, following an October public hearing, voted 4-1 to recommend the request for city council approval. 

 During that meeting, Maverik Senior Planning Project Manager, Kevin Deis, said the Utah-based company chose the location – which sits on the south side of the Weiser River and west off Highway 95 – because it would allow access to city services.

 Maverik had previously been in discussions with Washington County regarding alternative locations where it would have been necessary to utilize a septic system, in addition to other considerations. 

 Annexation, however, would have allowed access to the city’s sewer and water systems, with the utilities bored beneath the river at Maverik’s expense.  

 Deis provided further details about the proposed project, triggering questions regarding access, traffic congestion, and line of sight at the south side of the Weiser River bridge, as well as environmental concerns and the fact that the parcel is located in a flood plain.

 “Although there are all kinds of assurances about containment of gas tanks and that kind of thing, there is still potential for spills and leakage and being that close to not only the river, but our domestic water source, that is giving me some concern,” commissioner Tony Edmondson told Deis.

 During Monday’s meeting, councilman Cliff Barberis specifically expressed concern about the arching nature of the bridge, which has the potential to create visibility problems as traffic enters and exits the property.

 “I’m concerned about the traffic,” he said. “You get a semi out there, pulling doubles, and trying to get in there with that raise in the bridge … and here, lately, you can’t hardly go south without passing 75 cars. I just have a concern about the traffic turning in and out of there.”