Planning Commission approves restaurant, convenience store

November 28, 2001

Planning Commission approves restaurant, convenience store

By RICHARD F. BELISLE / Staff Writer, Waynesboro

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Members of the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday approved construction of a new Ruby Tuesday restaurant on the outskirts of Charles Town and a convenience store near the Fox Glen subdivision on W.Va. 9.

The votes followed minor discussions among commission members about signs for the restaurant project and potential dangers of buried gasoline tanks on nearby wells and water supplies for the gas station and convenience store.

It was agreed that new federal regulations for underground tanks would protect water supplies. The new restaurant will be built on a 1.5-acre site along a strip of existing eateries, including a Denny's and a Burger King, on the north side of Willow Spring Drive and the south side of W.Va. 51. First Charles Town Group owns the land.

The restaurant chain was represented by Heather L. Ziegler, a design engineer from the RBA Group of Engineers, Architects and Planners of Columbia, Md.

Matt Ward, a Charles Town City Council member and non-voting planning and zoning commission member, raised the issue of what he called a growing "neon tunnel" of signs on the approach to Charles Town from the city's east side - a commercial strip along U.S. 340 that turns into Washington Street, the city's main street.

Ward said the council has been looking at ways to improve the entrance to the city so it won't look like Anywhere U.S.A., where people say "What town are we in?"

Ward asked that the developer work in partnership with the city and go beyond compliance to be more in character with the community.

Ziegler said Ruby Tuesday restaurants prefer their signs to be prototypical.

The Seven Seas Convenience Store approved Tuesday will be located on the south side of W.Va. 9 at its intersections with Fox Glen Drive and Fox Chase Court.

It will have gasoline pumps and an island canopy over 1.08 acres. Mohammad M. Khan is the developer.

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