PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A new Sheetz will be built at the corner of Ashton Avenue and Sudley Manor Drive near Manassas. The gas station and food mart will sit across the street from a busy Costco store in a heavily commercial area.
Residents and public officials that approved the new corner market raised concerns about increased traffic, loitering, the reconfiguration of streets around the gas station, and Sheetz’s signature illuminated bright red canopies that house gas pumps.
“I know what the citizens are talking about with the big red, glowing canopy, the one on [Prince William Parkway in Dale City] is god awful ugly,” said Prince William Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.
The canopy that will be built at the new gas station will not be illuminated, and this location will place more focus on serving made-to-order food. Sheetz will also add a new concept for the company – a drive through lane.
“It doesn’t function the same way as a McDonalds…it takes four to five minutes to get your food, so, even at four minutes, you can start counting back at the number of cars and know you are 10 to 15 minutes in [for a wait] so we don’t think we’re going to run a lot of traffic through there but it’s a convenience item for customers,” said Jay duVon, with the law firm Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh, P.C. who spoke on behalf of Sheetz.
Already a congested area, Drivers will be able to access the gas station from new cut in from southbound Ashton Avenue just prior to the intersection with Sudley Manor Drive. A left and right turn lane at Ashton Avenue and Sudley Manor Drive will be extended to accommodate more drivers waiting to turn, and it will be paid for by Sheetz. So will the restriping of a dedicated right turn lane from Sudley Manor Drive into the gas station.
“I see the problem with the right hand turn lane is that will now be closer to where traffic now merges from Sudley Manor Drive to the right, but now we’re going to have traffic merging from Sudley Manor Road trying to get out of the right hand turn lane to go into the main lane traffic, plus you’re going to have traffic coming up Sudley Manor and turning on to Sudley Manor from the left, they’re going to try to merge right to go into the Sheetz. These are accidents waiting to happen,” said Elizabeth Hayward, a nearby resident.
A new fence will be constructed around the property to prevent access to the gas station through a wooded area, and duVon said Sheetz’s private security staff would monitor the parking lot for loitering, something Stewart called a “real problem” at the Sheetz in Dale City.
Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland called a Sheetz located in Haymarket “a good neighbor” and made the motion to approve the new gas station. It won approval in a 6 to 2 vote with Stewart and Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe casting the dissenting votes.
